BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES - Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie

the information sent when trying to achieve communicative goals;
messages have been shown to be remembered better when nonverbal
signals affirm the verbal exchange
Substituting - nonverbal behavior is sometimes used as the sole
channel for communication of a message. People learn to identify facial
expressions, body movements, and body positioning as corresponding with
specific feelings and intentions. Nonverbal signals can be used without
verbal communication to convey messages; when nonverbal behavior does
not effectively communicate a message, verbal methods are used to
enhance understanding.
Regulating - nonverbal behavior also regulates our conversations.
For example, touching someone's arm can signal that you want to talk next
or interrupt.
Accenting/Moderating - nonverbal signals are used to alter the
interpretation of verbal messages. Touch, voice pitch, and gestures are
some of the tools people use to accent or amplify the message that is sent;
nonverbal behavior can also be used to moderate or tone down aspects of
verbal messages as well. For example, a person who is verbally expressing
anger may accent the verbal message by shaking a fist.
5.7. Appearance of Medical Students and Doctors. The Dress Code.
Appearance refers to the communication role played by a person’s
look or physical appearance. It deals with physical aspects of body shape,
hair color and skin tone, as well as grooming, dress (both clothing and
jewelry) and use of appearance enhancements such as body piercings,
brandings and tattoos. Appearance is an important aspect of personal as
well professional image. Having a professional image is important for any
practice and especially for medical practice. If patients see
professionalism, in addition to receiving courteous treatment and quick
service, they will be impressed. Patient satisfaction with health care,
compliance with medication and treatment outcome is related to the
physician’s interpersonal skills including his/her sensitivity to nonverbal
behavior and appearance.
You may think that setting guidelines for professional appearance
is more difficult today than in years past, but women's skirt lengths and
men's long hair used to challenge human resources managers. Now it's
body piercing, tattoos and skimpy clothing. Whether it's the 1970s or the
2010s, these issues have a common source – people declaring themselves
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