Interpersonal synchronization of movement intermittency
Alice Tomassini,
Julien Laroche,
Marco Emanuele,
Giovanni Nazzaro,
Nicola Petrone,
Luciano Fadiga,
Alessandro D’Ausilio
Affiliations
Alice Tomassini
Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Corresponding author
Julien Laroche
Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Marco Emanuele
Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Giovanni Nazzaro
Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Nicola Petrone
Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Luciano Fadiga
Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Alessandro D’Ausilio
Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC), Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Summary: Most animal species group together and coordinate their behavior in quite sophisticated manners for mating, hunting, or defense purposes. In humans, coordination at a macroscopic level (the pacing of movements) is evident both in daily life (e.g., walking) and skilled (e.g., music and dance) behaviors. By examining the fine structure of movement, we here show that interpersonal coordination is established also at a microscopic – submovement – level. Natural movements appear as marked by recurrent (2–3 Hz) speed breaks, i.e., submovements, that are traditionally considered the result of intermittency in (visuo)motor feedback-based control. In a series of interpersonal coordination tasks, we show that submovements produced by interacting partners are not independent but alternate tightly over time, reflecting online mutual adaptation. These findings unveil a potential core mechanism for behavioral coordination that is based on between-persons synchronization of the intrinsic dynamics of action-perception cycles.
