Emotional intelligence weakly predicts academic success in medical programs: a multilevel meta-analysis and systematic review
Abstract Background Emotional intelligence (EI) is a predictive factor of academic success in undergraduate Doctor of Medicine (MD) programs. Although some research suggests a positive association between EI and academic success in MD programs, other research reports neither an association nor a neg...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2023-06-01
|
| Series: | BMC Medical Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04417-8 |
| _version_ | 1797806650983186432 |
|---|---|
| author | Ahmed M. Abdulla Alabbasi Fatema A. Alabbasi Aseel AlSaleh Ahmed M. Alansari Reginald P. Sequeira |
| author_facet | Ahmed M. Abdulla Alabbasi Fatema A. Alabbasi Aseel AlSaleh Ahmed M. Alansari Reginald P. Sequeira |
| author_sort | Ahmed M. Abdulla Alabbasi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Emotional intelligence (EI) is a predictive factor of academic success in undergraduate Doctor of Medicine (MD) programs. Although some research suggests a positive association between EI and academic success in MD programs, other research reports neither an association nor a negative correlation between the two variables. The current study aimed to resolve these contradictory findings by conducting a systematic review and a meta-analysis using research from 2005 to 2022. Methods Data were analyzed using a multilevel modeling approach to (a) estimate the overall relationship between EI and academic success in MD programs and (b) determine whether the mean effect size varies according to country (United States vs. non-United States countries), age, EI test, EI task nature (ability-based vs. trait-based), EI subscales, and academic performance criteria (grade point average vs. examinations). Results Findings from 20 studies (m = 105; N = 4,227) indicated a positive correlation between EI and academic success (r = .13, 95% CI [.08, – .27], p < .01). Moderator analyses indicated that the mean effect size significantly varied according to EI tests and EI subscales. Moreover, three-level multiple regression analyses showed that between-study variance explained 29.5% of the variability in the mean effect size, whereas within-study variance explained 33.5% of the variability in the mean effect. Conclusions Overall, the current findings show that EI is significantly, albeit weakly, related to academic success in MD programs. Medical researchers and practitioners can therefore focus on integrating EI-related skills into the MD curriculum or target them through professional development training and programs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:10:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7c7b4b2ed5734da592aaa37dd6121cd8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6920 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:10:30Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-7c7b4b2ed5734da592aaa37dd6121cd82023-06-11T11:17:13ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202023-06-0123111210.1186/s12909-023-04417-8Emotional intelligence weakly predicts academic success in medical programs: a multilevel meta-analysis and systematic reviewAhmed M. Abdulla Alabbasi0Fatema A. Alabbasi1Aseel AlSaleh2Ahmed M. Alansari3Reginald P. Sequeira4Department of Gifted Education, Arabian Gulf UniversityCollege of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf UniversityDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, Arabian Gulf UniversityGovernment HospitalsDepartment of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Arabian Gulf UniversityAbstract Background Emotional intelligence (EI) is a predictive factor of academic success in undergraduate Doctor of Medicine (MD) programs. Although some research suggests a positive association between EI and academic success in MD programs, other research reports neither an association nor a negative correlation between the two variables. The current study aimed to resolve these contradictory findings by conducting a systematic review and a meta-analysis using research from 2005 to 2022. Methods Data were analyzed using a multilevel modeling approach to (a) estimate the overall relationship between EI and academic success in MD programs and (b) determine whether the mean effect size varies according to country (United States vs. non-United States countries), age, EI test, EI task nature (ability-based vs. trait-based), EI subscales, and academic performance criteria (grade point average vs. examinations). Results Findings from 20 studies (m = 105; N = 4,227) indicated a positive correlation between EI and academic success (r = .13, 95% CI [.08, – .27], p < .01). Moderator analyses indicated that the mean effect size significantly varied according to EI tests and EI subscales. Moreover, three-level multiple regression analyses showed that between-study variance explained 29.5% of the variability in the mean effect size, whereas within-study variance explained 33.5% of the variability in the mean effect. Conclusions Overall, the current findings show that EI is significantly, albeit weakly, related to academic success in MD programs. Medical researchers and practitioners can therefore focus on integrating EI-related skills into the MD curriculum or target them through professional development training and programs.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04417-8Emotional intelligenceUndergraduate medical studentsAcademic successMeta-analysisDoctor of medicine |
| spellingShingle | Ahmed M. Abdulla Alabbasi Fatema A. Alabbasi Aseel AlSaleh Ahmed M. Alansari Reginald P. Sequeira Emotional intelligence weakly predicts academic success in medical programs: a multilevel meta-analysis and systematic review BMC Medical Education Emotional intelligence Undergraduate medical students Academic success Meta-analysis Doctor of medicine |
| title | Emotional intelligence weakly predicts academic success in medical programs: a multilevel meta-analysis and systematic review |
| title_full | Emotional intelligence weakly predicts academic success in medical programs: a multilevel meta-analysis and systematic review |
| title_fullStr | Emotional intelligence weakly predicts academic success in medical programs: a multilevel meta-analysis and systematic review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Emotional intelligence weakly predicts academic success in medical programs: a multilevel meta-analysis and systematic review |
| title_short | Emotional intelligence weakly predicts academic success in medical programs: a multilevel meta-analysis and systematic review |
| title_sort | emotional intelligence weakly predicts academic success in medical programs a multilevel meta analysis and systematic review |
| topic | Emotional intelligence Undergraduate medical students Academic success Meta-analysis Doctor of medicine |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04417-8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ahmedmabdullaalabbasi emotionalintelligenceweaklypredictsacademicsuccessinmedicalprogramsamultilevelmetaanalysisandsystematicreview AT fatemaaalabbasi emotionalintelligenceweaklypredictsacademicsuccessinmedicalprogramsamultilevelmetaanalysisandsystematicreview AT aseelalsaleh emotionalintelligenceweaklypredictsacademicsuccessinmedicalprogramsamultilevelmetaanalysisandsystematicreview AT ahmedmalansari emotionalintelligenceweaklypredictsacademicsuccessinmedicalprogramsamultilevelmetaanalysisandsystematicreview AT reginaldpsequeira emotionalintelligenceweaklypredictsacademicsuccessinmedicalprogramsamultilevelmetaanalysisandsystematicreview |