Interpersonal Physiological Synchrony Predicts Group Cohesion

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

A key emergent property of group social dynamic is synchrony–the coordination of actions, emotions, or physiological processes between group members. Despite this fact and the inherent nested structure of groups, little research has assessed physiological synchronization between group members from a multi-level perspective, thus limiting a full understanding of the dynamics between members. To address this gap of knowledge we re-analyzed a large dataset (N = 261) comprising physiological and psychological data that were collected in two laboratory studies that involved two different social group tasks. In both studies, following the group task, members reported their experience of group cohesion via questionnaires. We utilized a non-linear analysis method-multidimensional recurrence quantification analysis that allowed us to represent physiological synchronization in cardiological interbeat intervals between group members at the individual-level and at the group-level. We found that across studies and their conditions, the change in physiological synchrony from baseline to group interaction predicted a psychological sense of group cohesion. This result was evident both at the individual and the group levels and was not modified by the context of the interaction. The individual- and group-level effects were highly correlated. These results indicate that the relationship between synchrony and cohesion is a multilayered construct. We re-affirm the role of physiological synchrony for cohesion in groups. Future studies are needed to crystallize our understanding of the differences and similarities between synchrony at the individual-level and synchrony at the group level to illuminate under which conditions one of these levels has primacy, or how they interact.

Original languageEnglish
Article number903407
JournalFrontiers in Human Neuroscience
Volume16
Number of pages12
ISSN1662-5161
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 12.07.2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
SW acknowledges funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG; 442405852 and 442405919). IG acknowledges funding from the Israel Science Foundation (ISF; 2096/15; 434/21).

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2022 Tomashin, Gordon and Wallot.

    Research areas

  • cohesion, group-level synchrony, individual-level-synchrony, physiological synchrony, recurrence quantification analysis
  • Psychology

Documents

DOI

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. Der "fachdidaktische Code" der Lebenswelt- und/oder (?) Situationsorientierung
  2. Glancing into the Applied Tool Box
  3. Credit Constraints and the Extensive Margins of Exports
  4. About the Sense of Useless Software
  5. Tree-tree interactions and crown complementarity
  6. Effects on the (CSR) Reputation
  7. Gender perspectives in resilience, vulnerability and adaptation to global environmental change
  8. Quality Assurance of Specification - The Users Point of View
  9. Predictive modeling in e-mental health
  10. Modernization
  11. Influences of yttrium content on microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast Mg–Ca–Y–Zr alloys
  12. It is not what it is
  13. Rating Player Actions in Soccer
  14. Solution for spillway chute aeration through bottom aerators
  15. Agile: Mehr als nur eine Methode?
  16. Video-, Text- oder Live-Coaching?
  17. Knowledge Production in Consulting Teams: A Self-Organization Approach
  18. Remotely sensed effectiveness assessments of protected areas lack a common framework
  19. Being in the Game; Language Teachers as Digital Learners
  20. Pragmatics broadly viewed
  21. Genetically based differentiation in growth of multiple non-native plant species along a steep environmental gradient
  22. Integration of Sustainability into Universities - Good Practices and Benchmarking for Integration
  23. Governance statt Management oder: Management der Governance
  24. The impact of partially missing communities on the reliability of centrality measures
  25. Machine Art in the Twentieth Century
  26. Joint extremal behavior of hidden and observable time series with applications to GARCH processes
  27. Flexibility of industrial material flow networks
  28. Not Feeling Good in STEM