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

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 p

SUBMITTER: Persky S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5014639 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature