Seungcheol Austin Lee

The Impact of Instructor Decision Authority and Verbal and Nonverbal Immediacy on Korean Student Satisfaction in the US and South Korea

This study compared Korean students in South Korea and Korean students in the US regarding their perceptions of instructor decision authority and verbal and nonverbal immediacy. Korean students reported higher instructor decision authority and lower levels of instructor verbal and nonverbal immediacy in Korean classrooms than in US classrooms. Verbal immediacy was positively related to the satisfaction of Korean students in the US, whereas it was not significantly related to the satisfaction of Korean students in Korea. Korean students studying in the US indicated lower satisfaction when their perceived levels of instructor decision authority were lower than their expected levels of instructor decision authority, compared to when their perceived levels were higher than their expected levels.

Patient-centered interviewing is associated with decreased responses to painful stimuli: An initial fMRI study

OBJECTIVE To identify the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) changes associated with a patient-centered interview (PCI) and a positive provider-patient relationship (PPR). METHODS Nine female patients participated, five randomly selected to undergo a replicable, evidence-based PCI, the other four receiving standard clinician-centered interviews (CCI). To verify that PCI differed from CCI, we rated the interviews and administered a patient satisfaction with the provider-patient relationship (PPR) questionnaire. Patients were then scanned as they received painful stimulation while viewing pictures of the interviewing doctor and control images (unknown doctor). RESULTS Interview ratings and questionnaire results confirmed that PCIs and CCIs were performed as planned and PCIs led to a much more positive PPR. We found significantly reduced pain-related neural activation in the left anterior insula region in the PCI group when the interviewing doctors picture was shown. CONCLUSION This study identifies an association between a PCI that produced a positive PPR and reduced pain-related neural responses in the anterior insula. This is an initial step in understanding the neural underpinnings of a PCI. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS If confirmed, our results indicate one neurobiological underpinning of an effective PCI, providing an additional scientific rationale for its use clinically.

Predicting popularity of mass market films using the tenets of disposition theory

Disposition theory (DT) has been a prevalent and useful theory for examining narrative enjoyment. This study uses logic from DT to predict film popularity indicated by box office gross. A content analysis was conducted on the plot summaries of popular films to determine the extent to which dispositional considerations were upheld. Results indicate that adherence to dispositional considerations is prevalent, but not a significant predictor of film popularity when controlling for other important variables such as budget. Results indicate a need for scholars to incorporate greater understanding of the predictive power of theoretical models in real-world applications.