Department of Physical Therapy Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Physical Therapy

Copyright Statement

All rights reserved. This publication is intended for use solely by faculty, students, and staff of Nova Southeastern University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or later developed, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or the publisher.

First Advisor

Cheryl Hill

Date of original Performance / Presentation

January 2022

Publication Date / Copyright Date

1-1-2022

Abstract

Abstract Background: Physical therapist student clinical performance is an essential indicator of professional competence later as a practicing clinician. The Physical Therapist Clinical Performance Instrument (PTCPI) is the most common instrument used by physical therapy programs in the United States. Currently, however, researchers have found little to no association between PTCPI scores and indicators of academic success (e.g., GPA, GRE) or program success (i.e., NPTE pass rate). The absence of these associations raises critical concerns about the construct validity of the PTCPI and suggests that other non-cognitive student attributes may explain variation in the instrument. Therefore, the purpose of the present dissertation was to examine the associations between CI-rated PTCPI scores and PT student personality attributes. Methodology: After IRB approval, data were drawn from both archival and primary data sources from second and third-year PT students (N = 123) at a physical therapy program located in the southern United States. Data included scores from the 60-item HEXACO-PI-R personality instrument, CI-rated PTCPI scores from their first full-time clinical education experience, first-year cumulative professional GPA, undergraduate GPA, and prerequisite GRE scores. The HEXACO-PI-R instrument consists of 6 broad domains (Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Openness to Experience) and four facets subsumed in each domain. Results: Bivariate correlations and multivariate linear regressions found a consistent relationship between the HEXACO-PI-R and PTCPI outcomes. Specifically, the Honesty-Humility domain o significantly negatively correlated to CI-rated PTCPI scores from both the midterm and final evaluations. However, there was no association with any personality domain and PTCPI midterm to final evaluation change scores. When controlling for academic factors, Honesty-Humility explained unique variation in PTCPI scores. Exploratory analyses further revealed that the HEXACO-PI-R facets might predict PTCPI scores. Discussion: By examining personality characteristics as potential predictors at both the bivariate and multivariate levels, the present dissertation study found correlations and predictors of PTCPI scores. Although the effect sizes were small in magnitude, they were statistically significant and largely consistent with personality research in theory. In particular, the Honesty-Humility domain emerged as a significant variable to consider with CI-rated PTCPI scores.

Disciplines

Physical Therapy

Keywords

Assessment; Clinical Education; Personality; Physical Therapy Education

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