Positive Affect Facilitates Integration of Information and Decreases Anchoring in Reasoning among Physicians (original) (raw)

Integration of Cognition and Emotion: A Postformal Operations Model of Physician-Patient Interaction

Journal of Adult Development, 2000

We modeled Labouvie-Vief's description of the integration of emotion and cognition in postformal thought in young adults by assessing tolerance for ambiguity (TFA) and empathy development in medical students to examine their effects on clinical behaviors. In this 4-year longitudinal study, 133 freshmen medical students were assessed on tolerance for ambiguity at Time 1, and 90 of these were assessed on empathy as juniors at Time 2. At Time 3, 66 seniors were again assessed on empathy, and 61 of these were assessed on physician-patient interactions. Results showed that our postformal operations model was a good fit for the data. TFA (indirect) and empathy (direct) predicted standardized patients' ratings of medical students across eight clinical encounters. The examination of transitions within specific postformal stages offers a promising approach to theory refinement.

I am worried, Doctor!" Emotions in the doctor-patient relationship

Patient education and counseling, 2012

To review research on emotional communication in medical interviews regarding predictors, physiological correlates and effects of clinicians' responses to patients' cues and concerns and individual differences among patients. A selective review of research literature on emotional communication in medical interviews was conducted. Four questions regarding emotional communication were explored: What factors predict how clinicians respond to emotional cues and concerns? What happens in the brain and the body of both patients and clinicians during emotional talk? Are there individual differences in patients' responses to emotional talk in medical interviews? Do clinicians' responses to emotion affect health outcome? Building on evidence reviewed, research on predictors of clinician responses, physiological correlates of behavior, individual differences and effects on outcome should be further pursued. In communication skills training programs, better understanding of the...