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Biomedical subjects

V M Catano

Publications and source records attributed to V M Catano.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Personality as a predictor of professional behavior in dental school: comparisons with dental practitioners.

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of personality measures to predict the success of dental students (N = 87) in clinical and academic courses and to compare their personality profiles to those of dental practitioners (N = 130). A second purpose of the study was to develop a new criterion measure, the Student Professionalism Scale, based on competencies previously identified as necessary for professional success. The Canadian Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) predicted first-year, preclinical academic success; the DAT Reading Comprehension component predicted third-year clinical performance; and Perceptual Ability, the ability to deal with two- and three-dimensional objects, predicted student professionalism. Results from the personality measure indicated that Conscientiousness and Neuroticism, and to a lesser extent Agreeableness, were significant predictors of both first-year academic performance and professional behavior. In comparing the personality profiles of dental students to dental practitioners, students who were more similar to the dentists did better in their first year of coursework. Implications of the findings are discussed in the context of the dental admissions process.

Canada↗
PubMed2004

What predicts performance in Canadian dental schools?

The task of selecting the best dental applicants out of an extremely competitive applicant pool is a problem faced annually by dental faculties. This study examined the validity of both cognitive and noncognitive factors used for selection to Canadian dental schools. Interest in personality measurement and the prediction offered by personality measures has escalated and may be applied to the selection of dental candidates. Therefore, the study also assessed whether the addition of a personality measure would increase the validity of predicting performance beyond that achieved by an interview and the Dental Aptitude Test. Results suggest that an interview may be useful in identifying specific behavioral characteristics deemed important for success in dental training. Consistent with previous research, results show that the Dental Aptitude Test is a good predictor of preclinical academic success, with prediction declining when clinical components of the program are introduced into the criterion. Results from the personality measure indicated that Openness to Experience was significantly related to aspects of clinical education, although, contrary to expectations, this relationship was negative. A facet of Openness, Ideas, together with Positive Emotions, a facet of Extroversion, improved prediction of performance in clinical studies beyond that provided by the Dental Aptitude Test and the Interview. Implications of the findings are discussed, and recommendations regarding the admission process to Canadian dental programs are offered.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

A comparison of attentional and sensory effects in brightness contrast.

Twenty Ss estimated the brightness of two sets of gray-white metric patterns. Set I patterns had figure-ground response characteristics which varied with relative area, whereas Set II patterns remained constant though relative area changed. Maximum brightness contrast occurred when the gray and the white areas were equal with contrast decreased as one of the component areas came to dominate. In contradiction to previous attentional models of brightness contrast, this effect was found for both sets of patterns; however, Set I patterns decreased at a slower rate. The average log magnitude estimates for Set I, attentional patterns, were significantly greater than those for Set II, sensory patterns, only at the most extreme relative areas. It was suggested that relative area, or sensory effects, caused the decrease and that attention influenced the rate of decrease.

Attention↗