Work

Why do we fall into sync with others? Interpersonal synchronization and the brain’s optimization principle

Year: 2017

Type: review

Abstract: Spontaneous interpersonal synchronization of rhythmic behavior such as gait or hand clapping is a ubiquitous phenomenon in human interactions, and is potentially important for social relationships and action understanding. Although several authors have suggested a role of the mirror neuron system in interpersonal coupling, the underlying brain mechanisms are not well understood. Here we argue that more general theories of neural computations, namely predictive coding and the Free Energy Principle, could explain interpersonal coordination dynamics. Each brain minimizes coding costs by reducing the mismatch between the representations of observed and own motor behavior. Continuous mutual prediction and alignment result in an overall minimization of free energy, thus forming a stable attractor state.

Source: Social Neuroscience

DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2017.1400463

Authors: Leonie Koban, Anand Ramamoorthy, Ivana Konvalinka

Institutions: University of Geneva, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Technical University of Denmark

Language: English

Topic: Action Observation and Synchronization

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung

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