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Nonverbal and paraverbal behavior in (simulated) medical visits related to genomics and weight: a role for emotion and race

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Abstract

It is crucial to examine patient reactions to genomics-informed approaches to weight management within a clinical context, and understand the influence of patient characteristics (here, emotion and race). Examining nonverbal reactions offers a window into patients’ implicit cognitive, attitudinal and affective processes related to clinical encounters. We simulated a weight management clinical interaction with a virtual reality-based physician, and experimentally manipulated patient emotional state (anger/fear) and whether the physician made genomic or personal behavior attributions for weight. Participants were 190 overweight females who racially identified as either Black or White. Participants made less visual contact when receiving genomic information in the anger condition, and Black participants exhibited lowered voice pitch when receiving genomic information. Black participants also increased their interpersonal distance when receiving genomic information in the anger condition. By studying non-conscious nonverbal behavior, we can better understand the nuances of these interactions.

Trial registry clinicaltrials.gov NCT01888913.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health. The authors thank Paul Han, MD for advice and feedback during study development. We acknowledge Peter Hanna, Stephanie Browning, Rachel Ullah, and Leah Abrams for assistance with data collection, and Allison Sypher for assistance with data coding.

Funding

This study was funded by the Intramural Research Program of the National Human Genome Research Institute.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Social and Behavioral Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Building 31, Rm. B1B36, 31 Center Dr, MSC 2073, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2073, USA

    Susan Persky

  2. Basic Biobehavioral and Psychological Sciences Branch, Behavioral Research Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Rebecca A. Ferrer

  3. Behavioral Research Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA

    William M. P. Klein

Authors
  1. Susan Persky
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  2. Rebecca A. Ferrer
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  3. William M. P. Klein
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Correspondence to Susan Persky.

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Conflict of interest

Susan Persky, Rebecca A. Ferrer and William M. P. Klein declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and animal rights and Informed consent

All procedures followed were in accordance with ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

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Persky, S., Ferrer, R.A. & Klein, W.M.P. Nonverbal and paraverbal behavior in (simulated) medical visits related to genomics and weight: a role for emotion and race. J Behav Med 39, 804–814 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-016-9747-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-016-9747-5

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