Interpersonal Coordination: Methods, Achievements, and Challenges.

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Communication Studies
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Interpersonal coordination research began in the 1960s with video recording.
• Technological advancements have expanded methods for studying interactional phenomena.
• The diversity of methods makes a comprehensive field overview challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and categorize main capture methods for interpersonal coordination research.
• To describe major findings, levels of description, and limitations of each method.
• To provide a comprehensive view of the field despite methodological diversity.

Main Methods:

• Categorization of methods into video analysis, motion tracking, and psychophysiological/neurophysiological techniques.
• Description of major findings, levels of description, and limitations for each category.
• Review of existing literature on interpersonal coordination capture methods.

Main Results:

• Interpersonal coordination involves morphological and temporal synchronies across various levels.
• Coordination is intrinsically linked to building and sustaining a shared social and affective space.
• Current methods offer insights but also present limitations for holistic understanding.

Conclusions:

• Future research must overcome methodological challenges to deepen the understanding of coordination.
• A unified approach to diverse methods is needed for advancing the field.
• Interpersonal coordination is fundamental to social bonding and interaction.