Asociación entre las habilidades mentales primarias y el rendimiento académico en estudiantes de medicina de pregrado / Association between Primary Mental Abilities and Academic Performance in Undergraduate Medical Students

Con el propósito de analizar la asociación que existe entre las habilidades mentales primarias cuando se ingresa a la carrera de medicina y el rendimiento académico cuando se termina el octavo semestre, se realizó un estudio observacional y retrospectivo en 121 egresados de la Licenciatura de Medicina de una escuela particular del norte de México. Las habilidades mentales primarias se consideraron como variables predictoras, en tanto el rendimiento académico se asumió como variables de resultado. El razonamiento y la comprensión verbal presentaron asociación estadísticamente significativa con el rendimiento académico, arrojando un valor de p = 0,013 y 0,029, respectivamente, por lo que podemos concluir que el rendimiento académico en estudiantes de medicina requiere principalmente del razonamiento y de la comprensión verbal.

In order to analyze the association between primary mental abilities on admission to a medical career and academic performance at the end of the eighth semester, we conducted a retrospective observational study of 121 graduates of the bachelor of medicine at a private school in northern Mexico. The primary mental abilities were considered predictor variables while the academic performance was seen as outcome variable. The reasoning and verbal comprehension, showed statistically significant association with academic performance, giving a value of p = 0.013 and 0.029 respectively, so we can conclude that academic performance of medical students, mainly requires reasoning and verbal comprehension.

Student Perceptions and learning outcome on Primary Mental Ability-based Pharmacology Learning.

Objectives: To test the perceptions and learning outcome of undergraduate medical students on primary mental-ability based pharmacology modules at American Institute of Medicine, Seychelles. Methods: Pharmacology teaching was conducted for 13 weeks to two groups of students in the undergraduate MD program using 2 different methods. Group A (n=56) was taught by the newly designed 9 modules based on Louis Thurstone’s concept of primary mental abilities of spatial-visual and numerical abilities, perceptual speed, and inductive reasoning. Group B (n=50) received the conventional teaching with 4 traditional methods. Student perceptions were tested in both groups. Learning outcome was compared by administering a comprehensive pharmacology examination. Results: Group A taught by the newly designed primary mental ability-based modules recorded higher perception scores as compared to Group B taught by traditional methods. The difference was statistically significant on two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test (p < 0.025) as well as Mann-Whitney test (p < 0.025). Pharmacology examination yielded higher scores for Group A taught by primary mental ability-based modules, with a statistically significant difference on “Wilcoxon Rank Sum” (Mann-Whitney U test) (p < 0.01) and “Unpaired test” (p = 0.0097). Conclusion: Student perceptions and learning outcome was strongly positive for learning modules based on primary mental abilities of spatial-visual and numerical abilities, perceptual speed, and inductive reasoning.

Habilidades mentalistas y conducta prosocial en niños escolarizados / Mental abilities and prosocial behavior in school Children

Objetivo: Establecer la relación entre las habilidades mentalistas y la conducta prosocial en niños con características de deprivación social, identificar el uso de las habilidades mentalistas en contextos de deprivación social y favorecer por medio del juego de roles el uso de las habilidades mentalistas. Materiales y métodos: Investigación descriptiva de índole cualitativa a partir del estudio de caso. La muestra son niños de 7 años, quienes se encuentran escolarizados y no presentan diagnóstico de problemas de aprendizaje ni otros diagnósticos relacionados. Una vez realizados los procedimientos de pilotaje y línea base se administraron las mediaciones, de manera que se identificaron dos grupos entre los niños del estudio: el primero se caracterizaba por tener un uso adecuado de las habilidades mentalistas y el segundo presentaba dificultad en el uso de estas. Resultados: El primer grupo mostró un uso correcto de las habilidades mentalistas, debido a que empleaban la categoría de predecir y simular adecuadamente, lo que les permitía manipular cooperativamente; el segundo grupo mostró dificultades en el uso de habilidades como predecir y simular, lo que no les permite manipular en beneficio de otros. Conclusiones: Las conductas prosociales de carácter altruista requieren del componente cognitivo especificamente del desarrollo de las habilidades mentalistas. Se evidenció que los niños que no logran manipular cooperativamente tienen dificultades para hacer relaciones representacionales adecuadas de las creencias y deseos de los estados mentales propios y ajenos. Así mismo, favorecer por medio del juego de roles el uso de habilidades mentalistas en niños con características de deprivación social posibilita una mejor resolución en las situaciones de conflicto.

Objective: To establish the relationship between mental abilities and prosocial behavior in children with features of social deprivation, identify the use of mentalistic skills in contexts of social deprivation and to promote the use of mental abilities through role-play. Materials and methods: This research is descriptive and qualitative in nature from the case study. The sample consists of children aged 7 years, who are educated and have no diagnosis of learning problems or other related diagnoses. Once the pilot procedures and baseline were carried out, mediations were administered so that two groups were identified within the studied children. The first was characterized by appropriate use of mentalistic skills and the second was having difficulty in using them. Results: The first group showed a correct use of mental abilities because the use of categories of predict and simulate properly allow them to manipulate cooperatively. The second group showed difficulties in the use of the skills to predict and simulate what not allow it to manipulate in benefit of others. Conclusions: It was found that altruistic prosocial behaviors require a cognitive component, specifically the development of mental abilities. At the same time, it was found that children, who cannot manipulate cooperatively, have difficulty making appropriate representational relationships of beliefs and desires of their own and others' mental states. And it was found that promoting the use of mental abilities in children with features of social deprivation through role playing, improves their conflict resolutions abilities.