Academic Performance for Undergraduate Dental Students at Qassim University, in Relation to Multidimensional Perfectionism, and Behavioral Professionalism: An Exploratory Study

JOURNAL TITLE: International Journal of Experimental Dental Science

Author
1. Nabila Ahmed Sedky
ISSN
2278-1692
DOI
10.5005/jp-journals-10029-1178
Volume
7
Issue
2
Publishing Year
2018
Pages
11
Author Affiliations
    1. Department of Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology Qassim University College of Dentistry, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
  • Article keywords
    Academic performance, Behavioral professionalism, Dental students, Multidimensional perfectionism

    Abstract

    Objectives: Assessing multidimensional perfectionism and behavioral professionalism among undergraduate dental students and exploring students’ academic performance in relation to their professional attitudes and behaviors, multidimensional perfectionism traits and gender. Materials and methods: All undergraduate students were invited to complete two anonymous forms for multidimensional perfectionism and behavioral professionalism. Academic performance was detected through students’ cumulative grade point average (CGPA) after final exams. Statistical analyses were carried out at p <0.05 and 0.01. Results: Students rated themselves as being highest in self-oriented perfectionism (SOP), then socially-prescribed perfectionism (SPP) and other-oriented perfectionism (OOP), with 36.4% categorized as adaptive perfectionists, 27.07% maladaptive perfectionists and 36.68% non-perfectionists. For professionalism, “I demonstrate excellent skills in this area” was the highest percentage of students’ responses (38.62%). The majority of students (48.91%) got 3–4 CGPA. Male students reported higher mean OOP and SPP characteristics (67.92 + 12.11 and 70.41 + 12.43, respectively) than females. Female students showed higher mean CGPA (2.85 + 0.391) than males (t-test = –11.969, p = 0.000). A strong negative correlation was detected between perfectionists and SOP, behavioral professionalism as well as CGPA. Female students, who carry high SOP characters, with adaptive perfectionistic characteristics and achieved higher CGPA scores tend to seek challenges and improve themselves, they would 1.0 time further strive to achieve greater productivity than males with OOP and SPP traits. Conclusion: Students with adaptive perfectionistic characteristics were significantly had higher CGPAs. Female students, who had high SOP traits, with adaptive perfectionistic characteristics achieved higher CGPA and be susceptible to pursue challenges and be perfect than their male counterparts with OOP and SPP characteristics.

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