Team emotional intelligence, team interactions, and gender in medical students during a psychiatry clerkship

Objective: This study examined the relationship between team emotional intelligence, quality of team interactions, and gender. Methods: Psychiatry clerkship students participating in Team-Based Learning (TBL, n = 484) or no TBL (control, n = 265) completed the Workgroup Emotional Intelligence Profile (WEIP-S) and the Team Performance Scale (TPS). Results: Significant correlations (p < 0.01) existed between quality of team interactions (i.e., TPS) and team emotional intelligence (i.e., WEIP-S) subscales, but not gender. Control and TBL groups experienced significant increases in WEIP-S subscales pre to post (p < 0.01, η ² =.08), with the TBL group experiencing significantly higher gains in three of four subscales. Control group scored higher on TPS. Conclusions: A significant relationship exists between team emotional intelligence and quality of team interactions. Gender was unrelated to TPS or WEIP-S subscales. TBL group experienced higher gains in WEIP-S subscales while the control group experienced slightly higher TPS scores. Results suggest implications for medical educators who use TBL.