Gender and nonverbal expressiveness in patient recall of health information

This article discusses the importance of patient recall of health information, including factors that influence recall and those which are influenced by it. The role of nonverbal communication in health care and gender differences in health care are considered relative to the relationship between communication and memory. Two studies are discussed that suggest that physician gender and patient gender may interact with nonverbal expressiveness to either enhance or hinder the patient's recall of health information. Specifically, these studies suggest that a highly expressive or effective speaker of the same sex is more helpful for recall than one who is less expressive or effective. When the physician (speaker) is of the opposite sex, better results are found with a less expressive or effective speaker.