The Validity of Different Channels of Nonverbal Behavior, and Their Effects on Perceived Trust

Nonverbal behaviors (NBs) are important in communication and have been linked to having alleviating effects on physical pain. A congruence between the different channels of NBs seems to predict the most positive results in social interaction. The aim of this study was twofold, to validate the videotaped NBs, and to investigate a congruency or incongruency’s effect on perceived trust in a physician. In the primary aim, coders (N = 15) coded how much the videotaped physicians expressed different micro- and macro-level behaviors in the different NB scenarios. In the secondary aim, respondents (N = 50) filled out an online survey with 15 questions about perceived trust. Several one-way ANOVAs and post-hoc tests were used to examine the results. In the primary aim there were significant differences between the groups regarding most items, and the NB channels seem to be valid across the different items. There was however an overlap between the groups positive facial expression (PFE) and positive tone of voice (PTV) regarding the ratings of positive tone of voice. There were also some potential problems with positive body movements (PBM) regarding the ratings of positive impressions. For the secondary aim, the incongruent group PFE rated the highest on trust, compared to the expected congruent group “warm and friendly”. This could potentially be due to some effects from PBM or PTV. The results from this study could further supplement the field with more knowledge and could impact how physicians should be trained to improve patient-physician relationships and treatment outcome