2-064 - Social Effects of Interpersonal Coordination in Young Children: Synchrony, Mimicry, and Entrainment

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Interpersonal coordination occurs when interaction partners’ behaviors are patterned and similar in form or timing (Lakin, 2012). Hence, it includes behaviors ranging from discrete units (i.e. mimicry; Chartrand & Bargh, 1999) to continuous behavior-streams (i.e. synchronization and entrainment; Richardson et al., 2007). Studies show that socially-oriented adults synchronize better (Lumsden et al., 2012) and interaction partners who have acted in synchrony like each other and cooperate more than those who have acted asynchronously (e.g., Hove & Rise, 2009; Wiltermuth & Heath, 2009). Likewise, adults mimic ingroup but not outgroup members (Yabar et al., 2006) and are more helpful upon being mimicked (van Baaren et al., 2004).
Although it is considered an important ‘social glue’ (Lakin et al., 2003), little is known about how interpersonal coordination and its social effects arise. The studies in this symposium address this development, regarding both experiencing and enacting the behaviors. The first investigates how experiencing synchrony influences 9- and 12-month-olds’ social preferences. Next, the generalization of prosociality effects after experiencing synchrony in 14-month-olds is presented. The third contribution maps the development of peer-peer coordination during toddlerhood and its effects on peer preferences in early childhood. Finally, the sensitivity of 3- to 6-year-olds’ mimicry to group boundaries is explored.
Altogether, the studies in this symposium suggest that infants gain sensitivity to coordinated actions and that this develops into the ability to actively coordinate actions during early childhood. Its close link with social behaviors indicates that interpersonal coordination is intertwined with the development of social cognition.

Sub Unit

• Perceptual, Sensory, Motor

Chair

• Johanna van Schaik, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour

Individual Presentations

• Are Infants’ Social Preferences Grounded in Action Synchrony? - Presenting Author: Bahar Tuncgenc, Psychology/Cognitive Science; Emma Cohen, Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Oxford; Christine A Fawcett, Uppsala Universitet

• Effects of Interpersonal Synchrony on Social Group Affiliation in Infancy - Presenting Author: Laura Cirelli, McMaster University; Stephanie Wan, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University; Laurel Trainor, McMaster University

• Come Drum with Me: Peer-Peer Coordination in Early Childhood as Predictor of Later Peer Preference - Presenting Author: Hinke Endedijk, Radboud University Nijmegen; Veronica Ramenzoni, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Harold Bekkering, Radboud University Nijmegen; Antonius H. N. Cillessen, Radboud University Nijmegen; Sabine Hunnius, University of Nijmegen

• Mimicry by Membership: The Sensitivity of 3- to 6-Year-Olds’ Mimicry to Group Boundaries - Presenting Author: Johanna van Schaik, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour; Sabine Hunnius, University of Nijmegen