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

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

SUBMITTER: Durieux BN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12441729 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature