Warmth, competence and more: What practitioners can achieve through communication

How practitioners talk to their patients has a major influence on the course of treatment. Through their words and gestures, they are able not only to increase their patients’ confidence and well-being but also change patients’ expectations about the treatment. This, in turn, can shape the way in which pain, for example, is processed in the brain – and thus influence the success of the treatment.

Does my doctor seem warm, approachable, and competent?

In Project A19, we are investigating the effects of these factors in greater depth. First, we are looking at how a doctor’s choice of words affects our participants: Which words and sentences make a doctor appear competent? What choice of words can convey warmth and kindness? We are conducting a large-scale online study to answer these questions.

In addition, we are also trying to find out how, exactly, speech is understood and how communication influences the perception of pain in the brain. For this purpose, we are using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which allows us to visualize the brain processes involved in language processing and the neuronal responses to different communication styles and pain stimuli in the brain.

How does communication act on a neurobiological level?

Our approach combines state-of-the-art imaging technology with the analysis of speech in order to gain a better understanding of how communication acts on a neurobiological level. We hope that this will provide new insights into what manner of communication can contribute to better treatment outcomes.