Shared physiologic states offer insight into shared social experiences

Author: Tessa West (New York University)

Abstract:  Emotions, thoughts, and intentions are not simply concepts that live privately in our minds, but rather, affective states emanate from us via multiple channels – voice, posture, facial expressions, and behavior – and can influence those around us. How well are people attuned to those states in others? And how can we measure attunement in a way that captures the dynamic fluxes and flows of interpersonal interactions? I will share research on how peripheral psychophysiology, when measured continuously during social interactions, can capture the experience of attunement between people via physiologic synchrony. I will present evidence of physiologic synchrony from several social contexts, including dyadic negotiations, group decision making, and getting-acquainted interactions between people who differ in racial group membership and social class.  Throughout, I will focus on social and personality factors that facilitate (or attenuate) physiologic synchrony. In the end, I will share new research on how linguistic coordination—a behavioral measure that captures the degree to which people coordinate to the subtle speaking styles of their partners—can offer additional insight into how attunement shapes dyadic outcomes.  

Host: Isabell Welpe