Coordination

Interpersonal coordination/synchrony simple def

• Moving at the same time

Interpersonal coordination/synchrony more technical def

• Spontaneous alignment of movement between two individuals/entities

Characteristics of interpersonal coordination/synchrony

• No intention

• No instruction

• No specific goal

2 requirements (physics) (1→1, 1)

• Coupling: can transfer info

  • E.g. looking at each other

• Frequency matching: moving at roughly same speed

Positive social outcomes of interpersonal coordination w/ examples (1 →1, 1 → 1 → 1, 1→ 1 → 1, 1 → 1 → 1)

• Fosters affiliation/liking

  • Drumming synchronously w/ experimenter increased affiliation (compared to control + non-synchronous)

• Boosts self-esteem

  • Synchronous bicep calls (‘skype’ = video) → increased state self-esteem

    • Sign of successful social interaction/engagement possible mechanism

• Improves person memory

  • In-phase hand-flapping → better memory of words said by person + their appearance

    • Overlap between self + other (extension of self-reference effect)

• Improves collaboration/problem solving

  • Better outcomes on NASA ‘lost on moon’ task after synchronous movement

    • Signal of acceptance?

Negative social outcomes of synchrony, example + real-world concern 

• May increase destructive/anti-social compliance/obedience

  • Synchronous walking → crushed more bugs when requested by same experimenter

  • Military marching may increase obedience to ethically dubious orders

Constraints framework: Newell’s triangle 3 components

• Individual constraints (e.g. psychopathology)

• Environmental constraints (physical + social/cultural)

• Task constraints 

Constraints framework view type (1→1)

Geo-centric: focused on agent-environment dynamics as opposed to only disembodied computations

Constraints framework main idea (1)

• Behaviour (or in this case, coordination), emerges as an outcome of the dynamic interplay between these overlapping and related constraints/boundaries

Examples of psychopathology impacting coordination, taking into account Newell’s triangle (3)

• Instructed self-directed attention (simulating social anxiety safety behaviour) reduced interpersonal coordination when coupling was difficult (averted gaze)

• Higher ADHD traits reduced interpersonal coordination when coupling was difficult (averted gaze)

• Higher social anxiety traits associated with reduced coordination during tasks of greater interdependence (same category no-repeat naming games)

Conclusion supported by psychopathology (1)

• Individual constraints do not have constant impacts on behaviour/coordination - impacts vary depending on environmental + task constraints