Nonverbal behaviors perceived as most empathic in a simulated medical context

Bibliographic Data

ID21561986
AuthorsMarie‐Hélène Tessier (0000-0003-0848-9560, Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux du Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean), Marie-Hélène Tessier, Philip L Jackson (0000-0001-8991-3217, Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux du Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume157
Pages108268
Publication date2024-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueComputers in Human Behavior (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0747-5632 • E-ISSN: 1873-7692
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.chb.2024.108268
OpenAlexW4394935742
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited172

Perceiving empathy from healthcare professionals contributes to clinical benefits. Yet, for methodological and ethical reasons, the factors affecting perceived empathy, such as how the nonverbal behaviors of professionals interact, are less understood than those influencing the actual act of empathizing. Two online studies examined how the perception of empathy in a medical context of pain was influenced by factors related to digital healthcare professionals (DHPs) and participants acting as suffering patients. In Study 1 (n = 123), participants watched videos of DHPs showing variations in gaze direction, posture, and facial expression to rate perceived empathy from a visual patient perspective. They perceived more empathy from the face expressing pain, regardless of gaze, posture, and gender of the DHPs. The sex of participants also modulated perceived empathy. Study 2 (n = 116) expanded Study 1 by adding faces expressing pain and sadness of varying intensities, along with perspective-taking instructions, to determine whether higher perceived empathy for the face expressing pain stems from its congruence with the medical pain context. Participants perceived more empathy in faces expressing sadness than pain. Sadness and pain interacted differently with the effects of intensity, posture, and gaze direction. This work challenges the idea that exact congruence with the patient’s affective state is necessary and further contributes to investigating nonverbal behaviors of empathy

Anger · Developmental psychology · Empathy · Facial expression · Gaze · Nonverbal communication · Perception · Personal distress · Sadness · Communication · Empathy and Medical Education · Film in Education and Therapy · Media Influence and Health · Psychology · Social Psychology

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