Nonverbal behavior in prognostic communication: A pilot experiment in virtual reality

PEC innovation Pub Date : 2025-08-29 DOI:10.1016/j.pecinn.2025.100424

Brigitte N. Durieux , Jonathan Gordon , Justin J. Sanders , Ja-Nae Duane , Danielle Blanch-Hartigan , Jonathan Ericson

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Context

Clinicians' nonverbal behaviors contribute to patients' responses to prognosis communication, yet little empirical evidence supports precise nonverbal behaviors and the mechanisms by which they contribute to perceptions of high-quality communication. Virtual reality (VR) is a promising tool for researching communication, allowing researchers to manipulate nonverbal behaviors in controlled simulation and examine outcomes.

Objectives

The goal of this pilot study was to assess whether manipulated changes in avatar doctors' nonverbal behaviors could lead to measurable differences of participant feelings, reactions, or sense of immersion in a VR scenario of prognosis communication.

Methods

In this pilot experiment, university student participants were randomized to a short prognosis communication simulation in immersive VR representing one of five nonverbal conditions: No nonverbals, Smile only, Nod only, Lean only, All nonverbals. Outcomes included cognitive (e.g., cognitive load, recall), socioemotional (e.g., emotional valence, satisfaction, anxiety), and immersion and presence.

Results

Our sample comprised 229 participants. Pilot experimental findings suggest that some participant responses differed as a result of the manipulation of nonverbal behaviors. However, results did not point to the presence or absence of a particular nonverbal behavior as driving reactions to prognostic communication.

Conclusions

VR can allow for experimental manipulation of nonverbal behavior. There is need for further development to optimally conduct sensitive and ecologically valid communication simulations for research, and for research into discrete nonverbal behaviors to improve serious illness communication training and practice.

Innovation

VR experimental simulations are a promising tool for building the evidence base of nonverbal behavior in serious illness communication.

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非语言行为在预测沟通：在虚拟现实试点实验

临床医生的非语言行为有助于患者对预后沟通的反应，但很少有经验证据支持精确的非语言行为及其有助于感知高质量沟通的机制。虚拟现实（VR）是研究交流的一个很有前途的工具，它允许研究人员在受控模拟中操纵非语言行为并检查结果。本初步研究的目的是评估虚拟化身医生的非语言行为的操纵变化是否会导致参与者在预测沟通的虚拟现实场景中的感受、反应或沉浸感的可测量差异。方法在本实验中，大学生被随机分配到沉浸式虚拟现实的短期预后交流模拟中，分别代表五种非语言条件：无非语言、仅微笑、仅点头、仅倾斜、全部非语言。结果包括认知（如认知负荷、回忆）、社会情绪（如情绪效价、满意度、焦虑）、沉浸感和存在感。结果共229名参与者。初步实验结果表明，一些参与者的反应不同是操纵非语言行为的结果。然而，结果并没有指出存在或不存在特定的非语言行为作为对预后沟通的驱动反应。结论svr可以对非语言行为进行实验性操纵。需要进一步发展，以最佳方式进行敏感和生态有效的交流模拟研究，并研究离散的非语言行为，以改善严重疾病的交流训练和实践。InnovationVR实验模拟是一种很有前途的工具，用于建立严重疾病沟通中非语言行为的证据基础。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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