Search

The current study investigated the effectiveness of factual and narrative messages in promoting advocacy intentions among viewers of COVID-19 vaccination messaging. In an online posttest only experiment on Qualtrics online software, participants (N = 323) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions related to type of messaging (i.e. factual, narrative, both, control). The final model revealed that both types of messages work in generating advocacy but through two distinct influential pathways. Moreover, a message containing both facts and a narrative proved to be more effective than a message containing only a narrative or only facts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the effects of numerical evidence and message framing in communicating vaccine efficacy information about infectious diseases, an online experiment presented to U.S. adults different versions of a vaccination promotional message that vary by numerical vaccine efficacy evidence: (low efficacy rate: 60% vs. high efficacy rate: 95%), outcome framing (preventing disease-related infection vs. preventing disease-related severe illness), and gain vs. loss framing, using a factorial between-subjects design. While there was no significant interaction between numerical vaccine efficacy evidence and message framing, findings showed that a higher vaccine efficacy rate increased positive beliefs about vaccination and outcome framing emphasizing infection prevention increased message processing fluency. Given that infectious diseases pose higher risks for severe illness among older adults, follow-up analyses by age showed that only younger adults were sensitive to message framing where outcome framing emphasizing infection prevention increased processing fluency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research analyzes how the receiver's emotional response to fear communication differs across cultural groups of origin (Europe vs. Latin America), as well as individual traits such as the level of fear of each individual, motivated by the lack of previous studies that address the receiver's reaction from a cross‐cultural perspective in this type of communication. To achieve this objective, this work was born from the conjunction of two lines of research, which are synergistic. On the one hand, we have focused on works based on the theory of the appeal to fear, which, as we have seen, discusses the different reactions that the news receiver may have to fear communication. On the other hand, studies concerning the uncertainty avoidance theory explain different emotional behaviors in the face of fear, depending on the individual's cultural biases. We analyze whether the culture of origin moderates the emotional response to this type of communication, as well as whether culture of origin also influences the relationship between the level of personal fear and the emotion felt about the fear communication. To answer these questions, we have used neuromarketing techniques to analyze the emotional response to a series of images taken from The New York Times, the most widely‐circulated English‐language general daily newspaper. We selected these images by grouping the issues that generated the most concern among the world's population in 2022. The present research results indicate a significant discovery: persons originating from Latin American cultures displayed a notably more significant emotional response to fear communication than individuals from European cultures. This underscores the major impact of cultural context on the emotional processing of fear communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of communication is an important part in understanding human behavior in any settings. The purpose of this paper is (1)to present the communication influence on therapy outcomes and organizational effectiveness and (2) to identify skillsand practices that would enhance its effectiveness. While many studies emphasize the importance of effective communication, poor communication is the cause of many misunderstandings, conflicts, and disputes that negatively influence the outcome of the affected relationships. This paper aims to review the literature dedicated to communication in therapy and in organizations in order to identify common skills, tools, practices, and challenges, as well as some ideas that could be transferred from one setting to the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrorism always creates social, economic, and political chaos. Acts of terrorism in Indonesia are generally caused by religious beliefs and radical understandings held by the perpetrators. Terrorist convicts still maintain this belief, so a special approach is needed to run the deradicalization process effectively. Therefore, this research discusses issues regarding applying effective communication in the deradicalization process for terrorism convicts. An effective communication approach is positioned to support apparatus programs in the deradicalization process. This study uses a phenomenological approach to understand better the views and experiences of terrorism convicts undergoing the deradicalization process. The aim is to find and analyze effective forms of communication in the deradicalization process for terrorism convicts. The results of this study indicate that effective communication in the deradicalization process for terrorism convicts can be achieved through an approach that involves real and continuous attention, dialogue that is very careful about religious understanding, avoiding the act of extracting information about terrorist networks from the Police and BNPT; as well as people involved in handling terrorism; and applying an empathetic communication approach in embracing terrorism convicts, so that they do not return to the same environment and get a decent life. This approach also aims to ensure that former terrorism convicts feel cared for and valued by society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A boomerang effect involves the movement of a message recipient's belief, attitude, or behavior in a direction contrary to the advocated position in the message. There has been limited scholarly attention to the mechanism of belief boomerang. To better understand boomerang effects, we tested the effect of message discrepancy on belief boomerang and the mechanism underlying such an effect with a between-subjects factorial study (N = 458). Our results revealed that a counterattitudinal message resulted in belief boomerang, whereas a proattitudinal message resulted in persuasion. The relationship between discrepancy and belief boomerang was accounted for by a motivational (i.e., reactance) process. The results suggest the significance of examining the boomerang effect as an outcome distinct from a failure to persuade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Conversation Analytic (CA) methods, the present study attempts to analyze the various functions of face-based therapist empathy, and how they are sequentially realized in different psychotherapeutic settings. Four types of face-based therapeutic functions are discussed; more specifically, it is illustrated how therapist empathy may serve to maintain, enhance, threaten or even save the client's face. The findings gained could contribute to a better understanding of the face-based therapeutic functions of empathy; also, the study may inspire researchers to further investigate other functions of therapist empathy in psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has shown that most children with emotional disturbance (ED) are struggling to use communication skills and they may tend to use inappropriate behaviours as a form of communication to disclose their needs. A function‐based communication intervention might be an effective approach to decrease inappropriate behaviours of children with ED. The purpose of this single‐case multiple baseline reversal design (ABAB) study was to examine the effectiveness of the function‐based communication intervention for on‐task and disruptive behaviours of an 8‐year‐old student with ED. Functional behavioural assessment (FBA) was conducted and based on the findings of FBA, a colour‐coded communication system, was implemented during reading and math classes. The findings indicated that function‐based communication intervention was effective in increasing on‐task as well as decreasing disruptive behaviours. Furthermore, the function‐based communication intervention improved communication between the teacher and the student that resulted in decreasing disruptive behaviours in a general classroom setting. The generalisability of the findings due to the limited number of participants was an important limitation for this study. Future directions, as well as implications for practices, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of online data is becoming increasingly essential for the generation of insight in today's research environment. This reflects the much wider range of data available online and the key role that social media now plays in interpersonal communication. However, the process of gaining permission to use social media data for research purposes creates a number of significant issues when considering compatibility with professional ethics guidelines. This paper critically explores the application of existing informed consent policies to social media research and compares with the form of consent gained by the social networks themselves, which we label 'uninformed consent'. We argue that, as currently constructed, informed consent carries assumptions about the nature of privacy that are not consistent with the way that consumers behave in an online environment. On the other hand, uninformed consent relies on asymmetric relationships that are unlikely to succeed in an environment based on co-creation of value. The paper highlights the ethical ambiguity created by current approaches for gaining customer consent, and proposes a new conceptual framework based on participative consent that allows for greater alignment between consumer privacy and ethical concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's global context, a lack of comfort in communicating with others can be an unfortunate inhibitor to success in school and work. In this study we measured the level of communication apprehension in 263 students and the relationship of their communication apprehension to measures of leadership initiative, multicultural appreciation, adaptability, and academic performance. Results revealed that communication apprehension was negatively associated with students' willingness to take on leadership opportunities, appreciation for a multicultural world, and adaptability to new situations. No significant relationships were found between communication apprehension and overall GPA. Strategies for mitigating communication apprehension and implications for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) is recognised as a means of interpersonal communication and a powerful marketing tool. However, previous studies have focussed on related motivations, and limited attention has been given to understanding the antecedents of eWOM communication behaviour in the travel industry. This study proposes a full and partial mediation model, which brings together for the first time three key antecedents: adoption of electronic communication technology, consumer dis/satisfaction with travel consumption experience, and subjective norm. The model aims to understand the impact of these antecedents on travellers' attitude towards eWOM communication and intention to use eWOM communication media. The data were collected from international travellers (n = 524), and structural equation modelling is used to test the conceptual framework. The findings of the study suggest that overall attitude towards eWOM communication partially mediates the impact of the traveller's adoption of electronic communication technology and subjective norm, and fully mediates the impact of consumer dis/satisfaction with travel consumption experience on travellers' intention to use eWOM communication media. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An improvement in HPV vaccination rates is one of the primary goals of public health organizations. Toward this end, fear appeal communication is commonly used in health interventions, warning individuals of threats of HPV infection and promoting vaccination. However, little is known about how threat-related emotions, such as fear and anxiety, influence the cognitive processing of vaccination information and how this processing is associated with vaccination intention. To address this void, this study tests a model drawing upon functional emotion theories and dual-process models of persuasion. Results from an experimental study showed that fear and anxiety, which arose from exposure to threat information, triggered motivation to process HPV protection-related information, which in turn, was positively associated with depth of HPV vaccination information processing. Subsequently, greater depth of processing led to a greater number of positive cognitive responses when participants were presented with information with a high (vs. low), level of response efficacy. Finally, greater positivity of cognitive responses predicted greater intention to obtain HPV vaccination. Collectively, our findings provide a theory-based explanation about how the sequential provision and processing of threat and efficacy information in fear appeals contribute to the promotion of HPV vaccination. Implications for designing fear appeal messages are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subdisciplines in communication studies have developed competing and self-contained theories of meaning multiplicity. Arguing that this fragmented scholarship falls short of grasping the full scope of the phenomenon, this article offers Decoding Convergence–Divergence (DCD) as an interdisciplinary analytical and conceptual framework. Synthesizing principles from cognitive, cultural, and speaker-centered approaches to meaning multiplicity, this framework was applied in a study that examined news coverage of a CEO's initiative to address income inequality and its reception by different segments of the American audience. The study's results provide a novel demonstration of the joint contribution of opposing theories to the understanding of meaning multiplicity. Specifically, it found that textual polysemy, partisan selective perception, and the use of strategic ambiguity coalesced in the interpretive dynamics of this story. Based on these results, the article discusses the contribution of DCD to bridging competing approaches and the potential applications of the framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two experiments examined public and private responding in a multiple-audience context--a context in which members have varying opinions. I propose and find that posters (those communicating their experience to others) are influenced only by another's negative opinion because it triggers such social concerns as appearing indiscriminate. Consequently, they adjust their public attitudes downward. Self-presentational concerns appear to cause this negativity bias: lurkers (those not posting their opinion) were less affected by another's negative opinion. Furthermore, posters presented more than one side when publicly explaining their attitudes. These effects persisted despite posters' favorable product experiences and commitment to these attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While salespeople are coached and trained to use an adaptive approach to selling, sales training tends to be assumptive about the inclusion of specific selling techniques. Part of this assumptive approach is the belief that the old-tried-and true techniques such as the testimonial form of closing are consistent with an adaptive selling approach. Results of this survey of over 200 industrial buyers' points to the flaws in these assumptions and suggests there are techniques which are not part of adaptive selling. Industrial buyers make distinctions between standard selling techniques -- and associate a specific set of techniques with highly adaptive salespeople. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay is the presidential address delivered at the 90th annual Western States Communication Association convention. I argue that mindfulness and the practice of self-reflection that accompanies mindful living is linked to the interests of communication scholars. The self-reflection that mindfulness cultivates provides tools for engaging in social justice, encourages awareness of unconscious biases, and connects us with both students and colleagues through compassionate communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on the quality of conversation in dealing with aggressive patients including verbal and physical attacks on nurses, communication training at various health facilities and abusive behavior. Topics include social development of desolidarization, right communication and employees of health care facilities.

The article proposes a theoretical model of the development of parasocial relationships (PSRs) building on Knapp's model of relationship development. Through synthesis of research across disciplines, the model conceptualizes the relational goals and parasocial interactions (PSIs) specific to the PSR. The model identifies variables that predict engagement at that level, describes the stage's outcomes/effects, and considers the utility of existing measures to assess these stages. The conceptualization of PSRs as a dynamic process rather than intensity of a monolithic experience offers new directions worthy of empirical examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construal level theory is a recent psychological theory that examines the relationship between psychological distance and mental construal. However, the theory's implications for message effects research requires more attention. Construal level theory can guide new hypotheses that test the persuasiveness of certain combinations of message features and tailoring messages to different individual orientations. This is possible as the theory may reveal underlying similarities across disparate message topics, design elements, and message processing styles. Core principles of construal level theory are explicated, and message effects research areas that may benefit from its propositions are reviewed and elaborated upon. Finally, caveats of applying the theory to message effects research and future directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study theorized the relationship among information exposure, affect, cognition, and behavioral intention by constructing a comprehensive model that combines an integrative model, media effects studies, and the risk-as-feelings hypothesis. Specifically, in the cancer context, we examined how exposure to information is associated with affect and cognition, which influence behavioral intention. A two-wave survey about stomach cancer was conducted among Korean people aged 40 or older (n = 1,130 at Wave 1 and 813 at Wave 2). Exposure to cancer information was positively associated with affective (cancer fear), affective-cognitive (cancer worry), and cognitive (risk perception) conditions at Wave 1, which predicted screening intention at Wave 2. However, cancer fear reduced screening intention, unlike cancer worry and cancer risk perception, which increased screening intention. While cancer risk perception influenced screening intention indirectly through norm, cancer fear and cancer worry had a direct impact on screening intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to analyse how different styles of online and offline communication were associated in middle adolescence with certain indicators of the quality of peer relationships and school victimisation. A longitudinal study with two waves separated by one year was conducted, in which 882 adolescents aged 13–16 years old from Andalusia (Spain) completed self-report measures. Results showed that online communication was very frequently used to talk with friends, even more often that offline means. Cross-sectionally, online communication was positively associated with quality of peer relationships and negatively to school victimisation, reaching stronger associations than offline communication. Longitudinally, results indicated that more frequent text messaging was related to more easiness to make friends and no bullying in those adolescents with more initial difficulties. Thus, it suggests the need to develop safe spaces for online interactions in order to improve the quality of their relationships with their friends and partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses communication as a community of feedback systems. Arguing that meaningful communication between human and non-human species is contingent upon first reconsidering human understandings of human consciousness and cognition, the author identifies axes of communication as perceiving-sensing, adjusting-processing, and responding-exchanging, beyond language. Drawing upon theories of enactivism and her work teaching media to neurodivergent students, the author proposes experimental time-based media as a useful model for communication between humans and the not-quite-fixed world of all things that exist, with or without categorization, and between those things themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined college students' psychological well-being as a function of both sources of academic stress and supportive communication. A total of 129 students completed measures assessing four sources of academic stress (i.e., pressures to perform, perceptions of workload, academic self-perceptions, and time restraints), psychological well-being, and two types of received supportive communication (i.e., informational and emotional). Pressures to perform, perceptions of workload, and time restraints were negatively associated with psychological well-being. In addition, the negative relationship between perceptions of workload and psychological well-being was strengthened when supportive informational communication and supportive emotional communication were individually and jointly low. Finally, the positive relationship between academic self-perceptions and psychological well-being was only significant when supportive informational communication was high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication and interaction in sports may be manifested in numerous and diverse forms each characterized by pertinent attributes and intentions. This essay critically examines two particular forms of interpersonal communication, the "kinship of the rope" and the "loving struggle," as elicited and experienced in mountain climbing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a multimessage communication model designed for selecting messages that show the greatest promise of changing purchase intentions in a desired direction. An illustrative application is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we propose the notions of genre and genre repertoire as analytic tools for investigating the structuring of communicative practices within a community. As organizing structures, genres shape and are shaped by individuals' communicative actions. Our empirical study examined the communication exchanged by a group of distributed knowledge workers in a multiyear, interorganizational project conducted primarily through electronic mail. We found that the genre repertoire of this community revealed a rich and varied array of communicative practices that members shaped and changed in response to community norms, project events, time pressure, and media capabilities. Our analysis establishes the concepts of genre and genre repertoire as a means of understanding communicative action as a central aspect of a community's organizing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent media choice research has focused on attempts to determine what theory best explains people's choices of communication media. Two within-subject policy-capturing studies support the notion that media richness and social influence theories are complementary rather than competing and that the relative importance of choice factors depends on the medium. A comparison of policy-capturing and survey findings points to policy capturing as a useful research methodology. Results also suggest that rational and social factors should he included in comprehensive models of media choice that address both traditional and new media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of interpersonal communication skills is an important aspect of psychological skill development in interactive sport athletes. This article presents a communication skills training program for interactive sport teams. Collegiate coaches of interactive sports implemented a series of seven interpersonal communication exercises with their teams to gain a preliminary perspective on the effectiveness of communication skills training. Overall, athletes' responses in evaluating the program indicated that the communication exercises raised awareness levels of communication skills and competencies and also provided valuable opportunities to practice improving communication skills. Suggestions are provided for the continuation of communication skills training with athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though the marketing literature acknowledges that communication plays a vital role in channel functioning, it provides no integrated theory for channel communication. The authors build a theoretical model to help understand the role of communication in marketing channels. They propose a contingency theory in which communication strategy moderates the impact of channel conditions (structure, climate, and power) on channel outcomes (coordination, satisfaction, commitment, and performance). When a communication strategy matches the channel conditions, channel outcomes will be enhanced in comparison with the outcomes when a communication strategy mismatches channel conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the importance of interpersonal communication in the face-to-face selling interaction, this discussion seeks to provide a more complete picture of the actual communication process by introducing a concept new to the marketing literature. The concept is relational communication, which refers to that part of a message beyond the actual content which allows communicators to negotiate their relative positions. Thus, the message sender can either bid for dominance, deference, or equality. The message receiver, in turn, can accept the bid or deny it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review of past research on the persuasive effects of source expertise and source similarity reveals inconsistent results. In an effort to provide more direction for advertisers and other communicators, insight into source effects was sought through examining the relationship between source expertise and source similarity. Results revealed that there is no underlying relationship between expertise and similarity. The presence of one source characteristic does not impact the other source characteristic. As a result, the advertiser's decision relating to what type of communication source to use remains an important one. In view of these findings and past research, future research directions are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By adding a new dimension, information seeking, to the traditional way of measuring opinion leadership, this article suggests an additional conceptualization of interpersonal communication and influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language—often said to set human beings apart from other animals—has resisted explanation in terms of evolution. Language has—among others—two fundamental and distinctive features: syntax and the ability to express non-present actions and events. We suggest that the relation between this representation (of non-present action) and syntax can be analyzed as a relation between a function and a structure to fulfill this function. The strategy of the paper is to ask if there is any evidence of pre-linguistic communication that fulfills the function of communicating an absent action. We identify a structural similarity between understanding indexes of past actions of conspecifics (who did what to whom) and one of the simplest and most paradigmatic linguistic syntactic patterns – that of the simple transitive sentence. When a human being infers past events from an index (i.e., a trace, the conditions of a conspecifics or an animal, a constellation or an object) the interpreters' comprehension must rely on concepts similar in structure and function to the 'thematic roles' believed to underpin the comprehension of linguistic syntax: in his or her mind the idea of a past action or event emerges along with thematic role-like concepts; in the case of the presentation of, e.g., a hunting trophy, the presenter could be understood to be an agent (subject) and the trophy a patient (direct object), while the past action killed is implied by the condition of the object and its possession by the presenter. We discuss whether both the presentation of a trophy and linguistic syntax might have emerged independently while having the same function (to represent a past action) or whether the presentation of an index of a deed could constitute a precursor of language. Both possibilities shed new light on early, and maybe first, language use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored the ability of children to adapt their communication to the needs of their communication partner. Monolingual and bilingual 3-year-old children (N = 110) observed two puppets looking for puzzle pieces. One puppet showed its appreciation of the children's help, the other puppet wanted to solve the puzzle on its own. The children's communicative acts were coded in terms of level of ostension (how obviously they indicated the hiding place of the puzzle piece) and level of information (how clearly they indicated the location). Monolinguals and bilinguals were equally helpful and informative. In contrast, only bilingual children adapted their level of ostension selectively between the two puppets. These findings point to the greater skills of bilinguals to adapt their communication accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research reveals that the temporal ordering of childbearing and marriage can have an impact on the meaning of first-time marriage. This article aims to obtain a deeper understanding of meaning-making of first-time marriage in relation to childbearing. Narrative interviews with 16 brides and grooms in 8 couples in Sweden were conducted. The material was analyzed in relation to the temporal ordering of childbearing and marriage. The study reveals that the construction of meaning of marriage does not only relate to the temporal context. Social factors such as social class or family formation might also be relevant for how meaning is constructed. This article contributes to a deeper understanding of meaning-making as a relational process constructed within particular contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initially, the major focus of attachment theory was the parent-child relationship, but Bowlby (1988) also described the attachment system as active over the entire life course. Accordingly, a proliferation of research on attachment theory in the past two decades has addressed an array of familial predictors as well as intrapersonal and relational outcomes of attachment. The purpose of this review is to present: 1) measurement of attachment, 2) family violence, parental depression, and parental divorce as predictors of attachment, 3) (in)stability of attachment over time, 4) impact of attachment on emotion regulation and psychopathology, and 5) influence of attachment on romantic relationship. Special attention is paid to the role of attachment as a mediator between family of origin experiences and outcomes among youth and adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Adult Education Discourses / Dyskursy Młodych Andragogów is the property of University of Zielona Gora and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We investigate differences in the psychological aspects underpinning Western mobilisation of two terrorist groups by analysing their English-language propaganda. Based on a computerised analysis of the language used in two English-language online magazines circulated by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and al-Qaeda (i.e., Dabiq and Inspire), we found significant differences in their language—the ISIS’ language being higher in authoritarianism and its level of religiousness. In a follow-up experimental study, we found that being high in religiousness and authoritarianism predicts more positive attitudes towards the language used by ISIS, but not towards the language used by al-Qaeda. The results suggest that ISIS’ propaganda may be more effective in mobilising individuals who are more authoritarian and more focused on religion than that of al-Qaeda. These findings are consistent with the behaviour observed in recent homegrown terrorist attacks in the United States and Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Positive communication is advocated for physicians during consultations with patients presenting medically unexplained symptoms (MUS), but studies generally focus on what is said rather than how it is said. This study quantified language use differences of general practitioners (GPs), and assessed their relation to patient anxiety. Methods Language use of 18 Dutch GPs during 82 consultations was compared for patients with MUS versus medically explained symptoms (MES). Message content (positive or negative) was differentiated from its directness (direct or indirect), and related to changes in patient’s state anxiety (abbreviated State Trait Anxiety Inventory; STAI). Results In total, 2590 clauses were identified. GPs approached patients with MES with relatively more direct (vs. indirect) positive and indirect (vs. direct) negative messages (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.42–2.59). Anxiety of both patient groups increased when GPs used more direct (vs. indirect) negative messages ( b  = 0.67, 95% CI 0.07–1.27) Conclusions GPs use different language depending on the content of messages for patients with MES, but not MUS. Direct negative messages relate to an increase in patient anxiety. Practice implications GPs could manage patient’s state anxiety by expressing negative messages in an indirect rather than direct manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]