Beyond perfect synchrony: shared interpersonal rhythmic timing enhances self-other merging judgements

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Synchrony and shared rhythms are crucial for social bonding and prosocial behavior.
• Interpersonal rhythms exhibit significant variation, suggesting complex roles beyond perfect synchrony.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how varying interpersonal rhythms affect self-other merging.
• To differentiate the impact of rhythmic variation on self-other merging versus aesthetic judgments.

Main Methods:

• Two online experiments were conducted involving participants rating self-other pairs producing simple, polyrhythms, and irregular rhythms at varying complexity levels.
• Self-other merging and liking ratings were collected to assess the impact of rhythmic variations.

Main Results:

• Self-other merging was highest for perfect synchrony, decreasing with other rhythmic ratios.
• Simpler polyrhythms showed higher merging ratings than irregular rhythms, supporting a tracking-and-integration hypothesis.
• Liking ratings decreased sharply for polyrhythms, suggesting social individuation influenced aesthetic judgments differently than merging.

Conclusions:

• Interpersonal rhythmic variation specifically impacts self-other merging, distinct from general aesthetic preferences.
• Rhythmic variation may have evolved to support prosocial bonds by signaling shared intentions and facilitating self-other distinctions.