Emotional responses of clients to veterinarian communication style during a vaccination visit in companion animal practice.

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of veterinarian communication (ie, the information provided and gaze and body direction) and vaccination style on the emotions and physiologic reactions experienced by clients and on clients' evaluation of the expertise and trustworthiness of the veterinarian. DESIGN Simulation study. PARTICIPANTS 20 small animal clients. PROCEDURES Participants were shown 12 videos of a female veterinarian in which she first provided information about puppy vaccination and then performed the procedure. The veterinarian's behavior varied regarding the information provided about the vaccination (ie, scarce, factual, or emotional), her gaze and body direction (ie, direct or 30° averted), and her vaccination style (ie, routine or emotional). While the participants watched the videos, their corrugator supercilii muscle activity (corrugator supercilii muscles are activated when frowning) and skin conductance activity were measured. Participants also rated the emotions they experienced (ie, valence and arousal) and assessed the veterinarian's behavior (ie, expertise and trustworthiness). RESULTS Overall, emotional information, a direct gaze and body direction, and an emotional vaccination style were associated with more pleasant emotions and higher ratings of the expertise and trustworthiness of the veterinarian's behavior by clients. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that through certain behavioral actions, veterinarians may positively affect the emotions and feelings experienced by clients during veterinary clinic visits, even in the case of vaccination visits, which can be considered routine visits from the viewpoint of the veterinarian.