Male and Female Dental Students’ Interaction With Patients: A Test of Sex Differences

This study investigates male and female dental students’ interpersonal behaviors during restorative appointments. One hundred thirty-six male and 28 female senior dental students were videotaped twice during the senior year. Individual percentages of acceptable performance in behaviors during the overall appointment served as the dependent variable. Sex of student and the two videotapings were the independent variables. T tests revealed that (a) female performance levels in the first taping were not significantly higher than male performance levels, (b) no significant performance differences based on sex existed, and (c) both men and women demonstrated significant improvement from the first to the second videotaped appointment.