Factors Associated with Empathy, Critical Thinking Disposition, Communication Ability among Dental Hygiene Students

Objective: This study was conducted to provide a reference base for developing a variety of tailored education programs to promote communication ability by identifying the relationship between communication ability, empathy, and critical thinking disposition among dental hygiene students. Methods: A survey was administered to 182 dental hygiene students enrolled in a college in Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea. The variables included empathy, critical thinking disposition, and communication ability. The collected data were analyzed using the t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple regression with PASW Statistics version 18.0. Results: The study participants’ mean score for communication ability was 54.75±6.65. The multiple regression analysis showed that critical thinking disposition and empathy were factors affecting communication ability. The variance explained by these variables was 36%. Conclusions: To strengthen the communication ability of dental hygiene students in today’s rapidly changing dental environment, a variety of tailored education programs and extracurricular activities should be developed and applied by identifying differences in empathy and critical thinking disposition.