Measuring Nonverbal Behavior in Clinical Interactions: A Pragmatic Guide ’

Nonverbal behavior is a key component of communication. Nonverbal behaviors are the elements of an interaction besides the spoken word, including gestures, facial movement, body position, interpersonal distance, appearance cues, vocal cues, and even characteristics of the environment [1,2]. In essence, nonverbal behavior includes everything but the words; it ’s not what is said but how people sound and behave while saying it, and what is conveyed even when not speaking at all. As in all interpersonal communication, in clinical communication between patients and healthcare providers, a great deal of information is conveyed in nonverbal behaviors [3,4].
Source: Patient Education and Counseling - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: research