Mimicking non-verbal emotional expressions and empathy development in simulated consultations
- Objective: To explore the feasibility of applying an experimental design to study the relationship between non-verbal emotions and empathy development in simulated consultations.
Method: In video-recorded simulated consultations, twenty clinicians were randomly allocated to either an experimental group (instructed to mimic non-verbal emotions of a simulated patient, SP) or a control group (no such instruction). Baseline empathy scores were obtained before consultation, relational empathy was rated by SP after consultation. Multilevel logistic regression modelled the probability of mimicry occurrence, controlling for baseline empathy and clinical experience. ANCOVA compared group differences on relational empathy and consultation smoothness.
Results: Instructed mimicry lasted longer than spontaneous mimicry. Mimicry was marginally related to improved relational empathy. SP felt being treated more like a whole person during consultations with spontaneous mimicry. Clinicians who displayed spontaneous mimicry felt consultations wentObjective: To explore the feasibility of applying an experimental design to study the relationship between non-verbal emotions and empathy development in simulated consultations.
Method: In video-recorded simulated consultations, twenty clinicians were randomly allocated to either an experimental group (instructed to mimic non-verbal emotions of a simulated patient, SP) or a control group (no such instruction). Baseline empathy scores were obtained before consultation, relational empathy was rated by SP after consultation. Multilevel logistic regression modelled the probability of mimicry occurrence, controlling for baseline empathy and clinical experience. ANCOVA compared group differences on relational empathy and consultation smoothness.
Results: Instructed mimicry lasted longer than spontaneous mimicry. Mimicry was marginally related to improved relational empathy. SP felt being treated more like a whole person during consultations with spontaneous mimicry. Clinicians who displayed spontaneous mimicry felt consultations went more smoothly.
Conclusion: The experimental approach improved our understanding of how non-verbal emotional mimicry contributed to relational empathy development during consultations. Further work should ascertain the potential of instructed mimicry to enhance empathy development.
Practice implications: Understanding how non-verbal emotional mimicry impacts on patients’ perceived clinician empathy during consultations may inform training and intervention programme development.…
| Author details: | Yuefang ZhouORCiDGND, Martin H. FischerORCiDGND |
|---|---|
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2017.08.016 |
| ISSN: | 0738-3991 |
| Pubmed ID: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28870442 |
| Title of parent work (English): | Patient education and counseling |
| Subtitle (English): | an experimental feasibility study |
| Publisher: | Elsevier Science |
| Place of publishing: | Clare |
| Publication type: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Date of first publication: | 2017/08/30 |
| Publication year: | 2018 |
| Release date: | 2022/02/03 |
| Tag: | Empathy; Experimental design; Mimicry; Non-verbal emotion |
| Volume: | 101 |
| Issue: | 2 |
| Number of pages: | 6 |
| First page: | 304 |
| Last Page: | 309 |
| Funding institution: | Carnegie TrustMinistry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (MEXT)Japan Society for the Promotion of Science [RIG 70156] |
| Organizational units: | Humanwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Strukturbereich Kognitionswissenschaften / Department Psychologie |
| DDC classification: | 1 Philosophie und Psychologie / 15 Psychologie / 150 Psychologie |
| Peer review: | Referiert |
| Publishing method: | Open Access / Green Open-Access |
