Patient-Centeredness and Nonverbal Communication in Outpatient
Medical Visits   The purpose of this research was to examine how
nonverbal behaviors predict patient satisfaction and other
impression variables in real doctor-patient interactions. Eight
videotapes from real doctor-patient interactions were coded for
the frequency of three nonverbal behaviors- smiling, nodding,
and self-touch. The nonverbal behaviors were measured every 30
sec to examine temporal trends, further analyses will explore
these trends. Raters watched excerpts from the interactions and
rated the doctor and patient separately on friendliness,
interest, and dominance. The real patients self-reported after
each interaction their satisfaction with the doctor. Results
showed that a doctor who smiled more was rated as friendlier and
more interested. æSmiling patients were rated as more dominant
and more interested. Patients who nodded more were rated as
friendlier and more interested. Finally, more smiling and
nodding by the doctor predicted