title: Emotional intelligence of pedodontics and preventive dentistry postgraduate students in India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Whilst the corporate world seems to have embraced the concept of emotional intelligence (EI) as a predictor of worker success, its role in the dental profession needs to be explored; this study provides an Indian context. Hence, the EI of postgraduate (PG) students of Paedodontics and Preventive Dentistry was assessed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To measure EI amongst Paedodontics PG students in India, to assess any gender differences in EI and associated dimensions amongst them.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 300 PG students from various dental institutions across India participating in their specialty national conference at I.T.S. Centre for Dental Studies and Research, Muradnagar, were included. EI was measured by the inventory developed by Singh (2004), based on Goleman's model (1998).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 240 questionnaires (80% response rate) were completed by 142 male and 98 female PG students and analysed. Results showed that 19% and 58% of the respondents had very high and high EI scores, respectively. None of the students had poor or very poor scores. Results indicated that both males and females had high EI scores of 230.4 (± 10.38) and 222.6 (± 12.04), respectively. However, males had higher scores for dimensions of self-awareness (P<0.01), social awareness (P<0.01) and social skills (P<0.001) than their female counterparts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both male and female paedodontic postgraduate students in India had high EI scores. This study provides valuable baseline information on EI in an Indian context.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Teerthankar Mahaveer Dental College & Research Centre, Moradabad, India.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bhaskar
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Aruna
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rajesh
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suganna
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suvarna
mesh_terms: D004499:Education, Dental, Graduate; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry / Q000193:education*; D011313:Preventive Dentistry / Q000193:education*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires