Likability's Effect on Interpersonal Motor Coordination: Exploring Natural Gaze Direction.

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Human Movement Science

Background:

• Existing research suggests interpersonal motor coordination (IMC) positively influences likability.
• However, the reciprocal effect of likability on IMC remains unclear.
• This study addresses the causal impact of likability on IMC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the causal effect of likability on interpersonal motor coordination (IMC).
• To explore the underlying mechanisms of this effect by tracking participants' gaze.
• To determine if likability influences coordination synchrony during a shared motor task.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-two participants performed an interpersonal finger-tapping task with a confederate under varying likability conditions (baseline, likable, unlikable).
• Eye-tracking technology was used to monitor participants' gaze direction during the task.
• Participants' finger tapping tempo was synchronized with the confederate's at either the same frequency or 1.5 times the participant's preferred frequency.

Main Results:

• When participants and confederates tapped at the same frequency, likability influenced IMC over time, with a facilitative effect emerging in later stages.
• A positive correlation was found between IMC and gaze directed at the confederate's movements, but only in the likable condition.
• No significant effect of likability on IMC was observed when the confederate's tapping frequency was 1.5 times that of the participant.

Conclusions:

• Psychosocial factors, such as partner likability, significantly impact interpersonal motor coordination.
• Interpersonal motor coordination is a dynamic process sensitive to the perceived relationship with a partner.
• Gaze behavior may mediate the relationship between likability and motor synchrony, particularly in positive social contexts.