Academic Psychiatry 13: 156-158,
September
1989
© 1989 Academic Psychiatry
Relationship Between Medical Students' Participation in a Behavioral Science Discussion Group and Performance on a Cognitive Task
Howard B. Roback Ph.D.1 and
Pauline L. Rabin M.D.1
1 Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
The authors investigated the association between first-year medical students' verbal participation in a behavioral science discussion group, course satisfaction, and performance on a cognitive task (a written essay). Results showed that students who were sociometrically selected as having enhanced the group discussion performed better on the course essay and evaluated the course more favorably than their reticent counterparts. Some shortcomings of this exploratory research are discussed, as are future research recommendations.
