Synchrony  in  Dyadic  Social  Interaction  /  Fabian  Ramseyer  /  [email protected]   1.  Protocol  information  (background)   a)  Previous  research  has  examined  nonverbal  interactions  in  patient-­‐therapist  dyads   during  psychotherapy.  This  research  showed  that  dyads  exhibiting  a  high  amount  of   synchrony  in  bodily  movement  also  exhibited  a  strong  working  relationship  and  a   superior  patient  outcome.  The  present  research  will  extend  this  phenomenon  to  a  non-­‐ clinical  population.  It  will  measure  the  synchrony  in  movement  between  two  students  as   they  interact  on  an  enjoyable  and  engaging  laboratory  task.  It  is  hypothesized  that  dyads   that  show  the  greatest  synchrony  will  also  exhibit  the  best  working  relationship  and  feel   closer  to  each  other.   b)  It  has  been  shown  empirically  that  interpersonal  interactions,  broadly  speaking,  can   be  organized  in  terms  of  two  general  themes—(i)  communion,  which  concerns  a   connection  between  two  interacting  partners  as  they  together  form  a  larger  unit;  and  (ii)   agency,  which  concerns  a  separate  focus  on  each  self  as  two  partners  interact.  Many   behavioral  measures  already  exist  for  assessing  agentic  behaviors  (influence,  dominance,   control).  But  no  objective  behavioral  measure  exists  for  assessing  communion.  The   purpose  of  this  research  is  to  examine  a  simple  nonverbal  behavioral  measure  that   reflects  a  deepening  connection  between  interacting  partners.  It  will  thus  provide  a   marker  that  can  be  used  to  further  explore  and  understand  communal  processes.   2.  Study  procedures   a)  In  this  study,  participants  will  be  randomly  assigned  to  dyads  of  unacquainted   partners.  Participants  will  perform  three  enjoyable,  cooperative  tasks  of  verbal   interaction:   I.  Menu-­‐task:  Participants  will  be  instructed  to  jointly  design  a  menu  with  foods  both  of   them  dislike.  Duration:  6  minutes.   II.  Close-­‐call  experience:  Participants  will  be  instructed  to  tell  each  other  a  close  call  or   "near  miss"  situation  that  they  had  either  experienced  themselves  or  heard  about.  The   participants  will  decide  who  goes  first.   III.  Commonalities-­‐task:  Participants  will  be  instructed  to  find  at  least  10  things  they   have  in  common.  Duration:  6  minutes.   Procedures:  Participants  will  be  greeted  by  the  experimenter,  who  will  then  explain   their  tasks.  They  will  first  complete  the  consent  forms,  including  permission  to  video   record  the  interactions.  The  experimenter  will  start  the  video  equipment  and  then  leave   the  room  while  the  interaction  takes  place.  After  each  interaction  task,  participants  will   fill  out  brief  questionnaires  on  which  they  will  describe  relevant  aspects  of  the   interaction.    

 

Synchrony  in  Dyadic  Social  Interaction  /  Fabian  Ramseyer  /  [email protected]   Psychological  assessment:  Prior  to  the  dyadic  interaction,  both  participants  will   separately  fill  out  questionnaires  that  assess  interpersonal  behavior,  attachment  style,   and  empathy  (see  attached  questionnaires).    

Pre-­‐experiment  assessments:   Interpersonal  behavior:   Inventory  of  interpersonal  problems  (IIP)     Interpersonal  goals  &  boundaries  (IGB)   Empathy:  

Interpersonal  reactivity  index  (IRI)  

 

Post-­‐interaction  assessments:   Mood:  

Positive  and  negative  affect  scale  (PANAS)  

  Relationship  quality:        

Post-­‐interaction/Rapport  questionnaire  (IRQ)   Future  interaction  questionnaire  (FIQ)   Inclusion  of  other  in  the  self  scale  (IOS)    

Nonverbal  synchrony:          

Visual  images  from  the  video  recording  will  be  automatically   quantified  (using  a  computer  program)  to  show  the  amount  of   motion  in  successive  video  frames.  Correlations  of  each   participant's  movement  at  different  time-­‐lags  will  provide  a   measure  of  synchrony.