Article Version of Record

Grey’s Anatomy and Communication Accommodation: Exploring Aspects of Nonverbal Interactions Portrayed in Media

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Mickel, Jason T.
McGuire, Shian-Li
Gross-Gray, Shelley

Abstract / Description

This study explores nonverbal communication measured in a television medical drama using the NAAS framework for investigating doctor-patient interactions viewed through the lens of communication accommodation theory. It aims to find how doctors in the television series Grey’s Anatomy exhibit a select set of nonverbal communication elements to accommodate their fictional patients. Of significance, the study draws attention to the impact of televised medical programs on real-life doctor-patient encounters, focusing on under-researched aspects of communication in this context. Eight episodes of the series Grey’s Anatomy were coded for four nonverbal behaviors during physician consultations with a single patient in each program. Only the first and last minutes of conversation were included in the analysis. Descriptive statistics demonstrate how doctors and patients behave in general across all episodes. A factor calculated from differences of proportions between patient and physician behaviors indicates whether doctors accommodate patients and consequently influence patient satisfaction. The analysis finds that the amount of nonverbal behavior between the parties was balanced, with doctors accommodating and not accommodating in equal frequency. The study discusses the implications not only on medical drama but also on the professional medical field, noting that television not only reflects real-life but also can establish communication expectations for better or worse. Utilizing the NAAS to understand how fictionalized interactions occur informs the medical community on how better to prepare doctors for patient communication.

Keyword(s)

communication accommodation nonverbal communication television medical drama doctor-patient communication content analysis

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2013-06-28

Journal title

Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships

Volume

7

Issue

1

Page numbers

138–149

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Mickel, J. T., McGuire, S.-L., & Gross-Gray, S. (2013). Grey’s Anatomy and Communication Accommodation: Exploring Aspects of Nonverbal Interactions Portrayed in Media. Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships, 7(1), 138–149. https://doi.org/10.5964/ijpr.v7i1.95
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Mickel, Jason T.
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    McGuire, Shian-Li
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Gross-Gray, Shelley
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-12-05T08:44:31Z
  • Made available on
    2018-12-05T08:44:31Z
  • Date of first publication
    2013-06-28
  • Abstract / Description
    This study explores nonverbal communication measured in a television medical drama using the NAAS framework for investigating doctor-patient interactions viewed through the lens of communication accommodation theory. It aims to find how doctors in the television series Grey’s Anatomy exhibit a select set of nonverbal communication elements to accommodate their fictional patients. Of significance, the study draws attention to the impact of televised medical programs on real-life doctor-patient encounters, focusing on under-researched aspects of communication in this context. Eight episodes of the series Grey’s Anatomy were coded for four nonverbal behaviors during physician consultations with a single patient in each program. Only the first and last minutes of conversation were included in the analysis. Descriptive statistics demonstrate how doctors and patients behave in general across all episodes. A factor calculated from differences of proportions between patient and physician behaviors indicates whether doctors accommodate patients and consequently influence patient satisfaction. The analysis finds that the amount of nonverbal behavior between the parties was balanced, with doctors accommodating and not accommodating in equal frequency. The study discusses the implications not only on medical drama but also on the professional medical field, noting that television not only reflects real-life but also can establish communication expectations for better or worse. Utilizing the NAAS to understand how fictionalized interactions occur informs the medical community on how better to prepare doctors for patient communication.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Mickel, J. T., McGuire, S.-L., & Gross-Gray, S. (2013). Grey’s Anatomy and Communication Accommodation: Exploring Aspects of Nonverbal Interactions Portrayed in Media. Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships, 7(1), 138–149. https://doi.org/10.5964/ijpr.v7i1.95
    en_US
  • ISSN
    1981-6472
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1804
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.2170
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/ijpr.v7i1.95
  • Keyword(s)
    communication accommodation
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    nonverbal communication
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    television medical drama
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    doctor-patient communication
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    content analysis
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Grey’s Anatomy and Communication Accommodation: Exploring Aspects of Nonverbal Interactions Portrayed in Media
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    1
  • Journal title
    Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships
  • Page numbers
    138–149
  • Volume
    7
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record