Nonverbal Communication in Dietetics
Modern-day dietitians need to have a
fortified background knowledge about physical, non-verbal communication just as
much as verbal communication to create a client-base that is more committed,
loyal, and motivated than the current standard, which would result in a more
successful career. Being educated in the aforementioned
topics would lead to a higher success rate over the dietetics profession,
leading to an increase in demand from the public due to a higher regard of the
profession as a whole, which would consequently lead to more positions in the
field. By examining the experiences of
current dietitians alongside studies of how non-verbal communication works, we
can evaluate what areas of communication should be focused on while preparing
for a career in dietetics.
To
begin with, current dietitians who are practicing in the field have their own
ideas about effective communication with clients. According to the president of the American
Dietetics Association, Susan T. Borra, building relationships, reimbursements,
and knowing what to improve are all essential to client satisfaction (1). When she asked a member of the Nutrition
Entrepreneurs dietetic practice group about their thoughts on the matter, they
said that “a couple of minutes spent asking or answering a simple question
communicates caring and competence on my part and increased comfort on the part
of the patient when they arrive for the first visit” (1). In this case, the professionals stress the
importance of verbal communication and its effect on the first impression. Despite the truth behind their thoughts,
there is still an underlying power that can be either helpful or detrimental to
anything a dietitian says or does. We
can rely on the results of scientific studies to better understand the true
driving force behind verbal communication.
In
a recent study conducted by a team of neurobiologists, psychiatrists,
psychotherapists and neural researchers, the scientific explanations of verbal
and non-verbal effects on first impressions was analyzed. The researchers used functional magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI) on participants to carefully observe activity in the
brain when stimulated by verbal and then non-verbal communication. What they found was “evidence for
neurofunctional dissociation between the processing of verbal and
nonverbal social information during interpersonal impression formation,” (2).
Basically, different parts of the brain are activated for each type of
communication during the formulation of first impressions. One of these brain parts is the amygdala,
which, in traditional textbooks, is associated with the processing of
fear. When participants of the study
were exposed to non-verbal stimuli, it was the amygdala that was always
activated. In tandem with textbook
definitions, however, the amygdala DOES play a central role in “automatic,
affective processing,” meaning that certain incoming senses are automatically
evaluated, yielding a particular association, before the conscious mind has a
chance to judge the sense (2). Based off what they observed when a
participant saw a highly trustworthy face versus a highly untrustworthy face,
the researchers concluded that positive stimuli, as well as the traditional
negative stimuli, could activate the amygdala. Figure 1 represents the images of the fMRIs,
nonverbal (SoE/Val NV) followed by verbal (SoE/Val V), and corresponding
exposure to stimuli. Note the regions of
the brain that are activated.
Figure 1: Brain Region Response to
Verbal or Nonverbal Stimuli (2).
Since this part of the brain is so
quick to judge, one can see why preparing for a first impression is so
important.
Professionals are
typically expected to dress professionally, but in a career that involves
health promotion, fit, athletic-wear can be more popular outfits. “The nursing, medical and communication
literature shows that a professional’s dress attire is relevant to
client–professional interactions because it strongly influences clients’
perceptions of their professional’s characteristics,” says Cant, a journalist
for the Journal of Human Nutrition and
Dietetics (3). For this reason, it
is important for dietitians to know what their clients would prefer. For some, choosing what to wear will make
more of a difference than for others. To
elaborate, we will look at the work ethic of personal trainers in a gym
setting. More often than not, a personal
trainer gains less income than the individual they are training. Despite the economic disparities, personal trainers
still have higher authority over their client, not simply because they are paid
to do so, but because their appearance says so.
One recent study explains how “possessing a fit-appearing physique—conceptualized
in terms of bodily capital—provides a degree of moral authority that lends
credibility to interactions in the health and fitness industry,” (4). David J. Hutson believes that “your body is
your business card,” and scholars have always agreed. Social psychologists have long ago discovered
that an attractive physical appeal engenders “assumptions of health, morality,
and competence,” (4). Evidence of this
from the study is provided in the form of quantitative data: a high correlation
exists between suggested attractiveness and client base. Whereas those who were considered less
attractive had a smaller client base, those who were considered more attractive
had a higher client base (4). Although
there is not much we can do about the physical characteristics we are born
with, we can at least make the attempt to improve our bodily capital by
maintaining a consistent workout regimen and therefore present a physically
appealing body.
Speaking
with the body is no new form of communication, but the issue is that there
really isn't any new information on body language communication to begin with,
especially in the medical and health fields.
Researchers have made attempts to turn everyone’s attention toward
communication within the dietetics profession, but the “difficulty with
research in this area is assessing communication skills of dietitians because
there are few validated tools available,” (5).
All of the studies mentioned beforehand have expressed a common
objective for future research. For
example: while the neurobiologists wish to study the complementary interaction
as opposed to the dissociation of the activity in the brain when processing
first impressions, the researcher with the “bodily business card” wishes to
study how bodily capital is affected by the mentality of differing sexual
orientations and various ethnicities.
Dietitians
could reap a myriad of benefits from further education in communication, especially
the nonverbal types. Current
professionals practicing dietetics are cognizant of the importance of
communication in their success, and scientific technology has helped us
understand that there is actually a difference in how the brain processes
different types of communication.
Psychology reminds us that physical appeal does, indeed, have an impact
in the decisions we make, and personal trainers have to be well aware of this
fact or risk losing their income. Now,
all that is left is to continue studies on the complexities of communication to
further the success of dietitians, although it would be of great use to all,
regardless of profession. Who isn’t
willing to do what it takes to satisfy their client? In doing so, “you not only improve your
bottom line, but you also help expand the public's appreciation of the
dietetics profession,” (1). In the end,
the difference between the nonverbal communication skills of one dietitian and
another WILL be what sets them apart, which is exactly why we need to be more
educated in the subject area.
Works
Cited
1.
McCaffree, Jim.
"Client Satisfaction: Turning Referrals into Regulars." Journal
of the American Dietetic Association 102.3 (2002): 340-41. Science
Direct. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.
2.
2. Kuzmanovic,
Bojana, Gary Bente, Yves Von Cramon, Leonhard Schilbach, Marc Tittgemeyer, and
Kai Vogeley. "Imaging First Impressions: Distinct Neural Processing of
Verbal and Nonverbal Social Information." NeuroImage 60.1
(2012): 179-88. Science Direct. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.
3. Cant, R. P.
"Communication Competence within Dietetics: Dietitians’ and Clients’ Views
about the Unspoken Dialogue – the Impact of Personal Presentation." Journal
of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 22.6 (2009): 504-10. 6 Nov. 2009.
Web. 9 Mar. 2014.
4. Hutson, David J.
"“Your Body Is Your Business Card”: Bodily Capital and Health Authority in
the Fitness Industry." Social Science & Medicine 90
(2013): 63-71. Science Direct. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.
5. Whitehead, K. A.,
S. C. Langley-Evans, V. Tischler, and J. A. Swift. "Development and
Initial Validation of an Assessment Tool for Communication Skills in
Dietetics." Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics (2011):
406-07. 1 Aug. 2011. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.
*Note: Transferring from Word to blog messes with layout of works-cited page
*Note: citations are in APA style
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