Nonverbal immediacy cues and impression formation in video therapy

ABSTRACT

The increased use of video-mediated communication (VMC) due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread acceptance of mediated healthcare appointments. Mental health care is one area in which researchers might examine the effects of VMC. Therefore, the current study employed an experiment to test the relative influence of video therapists’ eye contact and gesture on a patient. Each participant was assigned to one of the four possible video conditions using a 2 (Gestures present versus absent) x 2 (Eye contact present versus absent) factorial design. Study participants (n= 359) rated actors portraying themselves as video therapists on items related to impression formation (i.e. likable, warm, understanding). Findings suggest that participants in the eye contact condition reported more positive impressions than in the no eye contact condition. Similarly, participants in the gesture condition reported more positive impressions than in the no gesture condition. However, gestures had a larger effect on impression formation than eye contact, and there was no interaction effect considering the combined impact of gestures and eye contact. These results contribute to understanding how nonverbal cues impact health outcomes in VMC. .

KEYWORDS:

• Nonverbal immediacy
• eye contact
• gestures
• impression formation
• video therapy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Emily Pfender

Emily Pfender is a doctoral student in Communication at the University of Delaware. Her primary research interests include the ways media and interpersonal relationships impact health outcomes. Emily is currently working on projects related to telemedicine, caregiver burden, social support, and social media influencers.

Scott Caplan

Scott Caplan, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Delaware. His research program examines new technologies, interpersonal behavior, and personal relationships.