Autonomic Synchronization, Team Coordination, Participation, and Performance

The synchronization of autonomic arousal levels within dyads and larger teams has become a potentially important variable in the explanation of team performance and group processes. Synchronization research with groups of three or more members has been challenging because of limited means for quantifying relationships that are more extensive than dyads. This article presents an empirical investigation of group performance and participation using a new synchronization coefficient that is grounded in nonlinear dynamical systems theory. We introduce the concept of a driver, a person with whom the group tends to synchronize the most, and an empath, a person who is most synchronized with other team members. Fifty-five undergraduate research participants, who were organized into 11 groups of three or four participants, played six emergency response simulations against an opponent while generating electrodermal data. Results showed that greater physiological synchronization resulted from better team performance and greater par-ticipation levels. Synchronization was higher for groups of four team members compared to three. Synchronization was also observed between the opponent and team members. Further opportunities for using the synchronization coefficient in group process research are discussed.