Objective The present study aimed to investigate the effect of three different vignette modalities (text-, audio-, and video-vignette) on analogue patients’ emotional response and engagement....Show moreObjective The present study aimed to investigate the effect of three different vignette modalities (text-, audio-, and video-vignette) on analogue patients’ emotional response and engagement. Secondly, we tested whether the emotional load of the communication in the vignette (neutral vs. enhanced) moderates the effects of vignette modality on emotional response and engagement. Methods Vignette modality (text, audio, or video) and emotional load of the vignette (neutral or enhanced) were varied in an online, experimental 2 x 3 within and between subject’s design. Healthy, cancer naive students (n = 208) were recruited as analogue patients and randomly assigned to one of the six conditions. All analogue patients were questioned about their state anxiety and engagement in the vignette using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Short Form and Video Engagement Scale. Results No difference was found in analogue patients’ emotional response (F(2, 205) = 1.441, p = 0.239) to the vignette, and engagement (F(2, 205) = 0.895, p = 0.410) with the vignette, when comparing the different vignette modalities. In addition, emotional load (neutral or enhanced) did not moderate the effects of vignette modality on emotional response (F(2, 202) = 0.391, p = 0.677) or engagement (F(2, 202) = 1.438, p = 0.240). Conclusion and implication The current study results suggest that it does not matter which modality is used when studying analogue patients‘ emotional response and engagement in vignette studies. We recommend repeating this study with a different analogue patient group (broader age range and/or patient population).Show less
