Correlation between EI and PE

1
Emotional Intelligence and Physician Empathy
Introduction

The quality of communication in
patient-practitioner interviews is important it
influences patient satisfaction, compliance with
medical regimens, and medical outcomes.
Therefore, effective communication is an
important skill for students in health
professions such as medicine and occupational
therapy.
University of New Hampshire, Durham NH
Results
Discussion
Correlation between EI and PE

• Branch 4 EI (Ability to Manage Emotions) was
  significantly positively correlated with PE.
• Consistent with past research, female medical
  students scored higher on EI than males. Females
  did not score higher than males on PE.
• Scores on total EI were higher for medical
  students over age 33. Some studies suggest EI may
  increase with age (4). However, age related
  differences in EI in our sample may be due to
  self selection perhaps older adults low in EI
  are less likely to apply to medical school.
• Scores on Branch 3 EI (Understanding Emotions)
  correlated positively with Verbal MCAT scores
  while scores on Branch 4 EI and on PE correlated
  negatively with Physics MCAT scores.
• Applicants with high Verbal and low Physics MCAT
  scores may tend to be higher in EI and PE.
  However, recommendations about changes in
  admissions criteria would be premature.
• The next phase of analyses will examine
  communication skills in interviews with trained
  simulated patients in relation to EI and PE and
  the relationship between admissions statements of
  personal goals and EI and PE.
• If EI and PE predict actual interview skills,
  information about these may be useful in
  evaluation of medical school applicants.

Raoul Hausmann, Spirit of Our Time, National
Musuem of Modern Art, Paris
Total EI was not significantly positively
correlated with PE, r(55) .26, p .052.
However, Branch 4 EI (Managing Emotions) was
correlated with PE, r(55) .52, p lt .001.
Most assessments of medical school applicants are
measures of academic ability (such as the MCAT
verbal, physics, and biology scores). It is not
clear whether these academic skills predict
communication skills in medical interviews. Two
variables that may predict communication quality
in medical interviews are Emotional Intelligence
(EI) and Physician Empathy (PE).
130
120
Female medical students scored significantly on
EI than the male students, t(54) -2.61, p
.012, h2 .11 for females M 104.1, for
males, M 96.3. Mean EI for females was almost
8 points, or .7 standard deviations, higher than
for males. There was no significant gender
difference in PE scores.
The present study addressed these questions
110

• Are EI and PE correlated?
• Are EI and PE related to gender and age?
• Are EI and PE correlated with MCAT scores?

?
EI Total
100
?
?
90
80
70
Method
Female
Male
Sixty first year medical students agreed to
participate we obtained demographics, access to
MCAT scores, and scores for EI and PE.
Measurement of Emotional Intelligence
EI and Age
The MSCEIT is an ability test of EI that yields a
score for total EI and each of four branches of
EI (1, 2). Because it is an ability test,
responses are evaluated based on degree of
agreement with responses identified by expert
judges.
EI and age correlated positively, r(51) .41,
p .003. Students above age 33 had EI scores
well above average. PE was not significantly
related to age.
References
Branch 1 Perceiving Emotion Branch 2 Use
of Emotion to Facilitate Thought Branch 3
Understanding Emotions Branch 4 Managing Emotion
1) Brackett, M. A., Mayer, J. D. (2003). 
Convergent, discriminant, and incremental
validity of competing measures of emotional
intelligence. Personality and Social Psychology
Bulletin, 29, 1147-1158. 2) Mayer J. D.,
Salovey, P., Caruso, D. R., Sitarenios, G.
(2003). Measuring emotional intelligence with the
MSCEIT V2.0. Emotion, 3, 97-105. 3) Hojat,
M., Mangione, S., Nasca, T. J., Cohen, M. J. M.,
Gonnella, J. S., Erdmann, J. B., Veloski, J.,
Magee, M. (2001). The Jefferson Scale of
Physician Empathy Development and preliminary
psychometric data. Educational and
Psychological Measurement, 61, 349-365. 4)
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Gets Better with Age.
Retrieved April 4, 2007 www.mhs.com/ROE/EIGetsB
etterWithAge.aspx
EI, PE and MCATs
Measurement of Physician Empathy
EI Branch 3 correlated positively with Verbal
MCAT scores, r(54) .43, p .001. EI Branch 4
and PE each correlated negatively with Physics
MCATs, r(54) -.34, p .011 and r(54) -.26,
p .049. No other correlations between MCAT
scores and EI or PE were significant.
The Jefferson Physician Empathy Scale is a 20
item self report measure of physician empathy
(3). A typical item is as follows A
physician who is able to view things from another
persons perspective can render better care
respondents are asked to rate their degree of
agreement with each statement . PE assesses
attitudes toward the importance of physician
empathy in health care.
Acknowledgements
Grant from UNH Presidential Excellence Research
Award program assistance from Mildred Savidge
and the Department of Family Medicine, College
of Osteopathic Medicine, University of New
England, ME.
Contact Information
Rebecca Warner, Department of Psychology,
University of New Hampshire, Durham NH 03824.
rmw_at_unh.edu