Informing, Coordinating, and Performing: A Perspective on Functions of Sensorimotor Communication.

Cordula Vesper,Vassilis Sevdalis

doi:10.3389/fnhum.2020.00168

Abstract

Sensorimotor communication is a form of communication instantiated through body movements that are guided by both instrumental, goal-directed intentions and communicative, social intentions. Depending on the social interaction context, sensorimotor communication can serve different functions. This article aims to disentangle three of these functions: (a) an informing function of body movements, to highlight action intentions for an observer; (b) a coordinating function of body movements, to facilitate real-time action prediction in joint action; and (c) a performing function of body movements, to elicit emotional or aesthetic experiences in an audience. We provide examples of research addressing these different functions as well as some influencing factors, relating to individual differences, task characteristics, and situational demands. The article concludes by discussing the benefits of a closer dialog between separate lines of research on sensorimotor communication across different social contexts.

Highlights

Humans have an intrinsic ability to interact socially with others
Nonverbal forms of communication are pertinent in human cultures worldwide (Matsumoto, 2006) and occur in various contexts, from complementing or replacing verbal communication in everyday interactions (Vesper and Richardson, 2014; Peeters et al, 2015; Vesper et al, 2017b; Pezzulo et al, 2019) to supporting complex interpersonal interactions and producing art through dance and music (Sevdalis and Keller, 2011a, 2014; D’Ausilio et al, 2015; MacRitchie et al, 2017; Bishop et al, 2019)
The section ‘‘Performing Function: Eliciting Emotional or Aesthetic Experiences in an Audience’’ addresses movements that support performance in contexts such as music and dance, by conveying dynamic expressive nuances that elicit emotional and aesthetical experiences in an audience. These three functions of sensorimotor communication can be influenced by several factors related to individual differences, specific task characteristics, or situational demands

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Before cultivating the language faculty, humans are able to understand others and to be understood by others through pre- and nonverbal cues, such as pointing gestures and gaze direction (Tomasello, 2019). Later in life, this ability becomes relevant in social contexts where the environment prevents verbal exchange (e.g., due to background noise) or where linguistic forms of communication are not appropriate (e.g., in sport and performing art contexts). Considerable attention has been placed on understanding the foundations of cognitive and social processes within human actions and embodied interactions (Gallese, 2007)

Functions of Sensorimotor Communication

FINAL REMARKS