Social Interoception and Autonomic System Reactivity during Synchronization Behavior

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Social Psychology
• Autonomic Physiology

Background:

• Limited understanding of interoception's effect on autonomic reactivity during social synchronization.
• Investigating the influence of social framing and Interoceptive Attentiveness (IA) on autonomic responses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how IA and social framing affect autonomic system reactivity during interpersonal synchronization tasks.
• To explore the interplay between internal bodily awareness and social cues in collaborative contexts.

Main Methods:

• Participants underwent two conditions: focusing on breath (IA) and no breath focus.
• Two synchronization tasks (motor and linguistic) were performed under social framing (enhanced collaboration) or no framing.
• Autonomic responses, including electrodermal activity and cardiovascular indices, were continuously monitored.

Main Results:

• Higher cognitive engagement was observed during IA (breath focus) and with social framing, particularly in motor synchronization tasks.
• Social framing positively influenced cognitive engagement during synchronized tasks.
• A potential deficit in emotional control was noted in the absence of breath focus and social framing during synchronization.

Conclusions:

• Findings highlight the significant role of Interoceptive Attentiveness in modulating autonomic responses during social synchronization.
• The study advocates for hyperscanning paradigms to further investigate real-time interpersonal synchronization dynamics and IA's impact.
• Results suggest that IA and social context are crucial factors in regulating physiological and cognitive states during social interaction.