Patients' disclosure of personal information is a key factor in health communication. Research shows that the environment can affect self-disclosure. The 2 studies reported in this article set out to examine the effects of the perceived spaciousness of a consultation room on patient readiness to communicate personal information to his or her physician. To influence perceived spaciousness, desk size and room size were manipulated. Results from both studies show that an increase in room size in particular positively influences perceived comfort and intended self-disclosure. However, the affective valence of the conversation was found to influence this relation, indicating that people prefer a smaller interpersonal distance when the conversation is positively framed and room size is large. Furthermore, findings show that spaciousness effects on self-disclosure are qualified by patient characteristics.

The tendency to disclose information is affected by several factors, including the environment in which a conversation takes place. The study reported investigates the effect of spaciousness impressions on self-disclosure during interviews on intimate lifestyle-related topics comprising substance intake, sexuality, and emotions. To influence perceived spaciousness, desk size (interpersonal space) and room size (architectural space) were manipulated. The results show that room size in particular affects self-disclosing behavior with increases in architectural space positively affecting self-disclosure. However, the effects obtained varied considerably across the different topics, and decreases in interpersonal space hampered self-disclosure on sexuality-related topics. Furthermore, nonverbal measures revealed that readjustments of posture, interpersonal distancing, and refrains from establishing eye contact are used to counteract space intrusions.

Lighting, patients, physicians, satisfaction.

No abstract