Abstract
Entrainment is a ubiquitous property not only of interacting non-linear dynamical systems but also of human movements. In the study reported here, two premises of entrainment theory were investigated in a tapping task conducted in both interpersonal (i.e. between individuals) and intrapersonal (i.e. between effectors) conditions. Hypothesis 1 was that interacting oscillatory systems should demonstrate synchronisation, which was predicted to emerge as in-phase tapping behaviour in both inter- and intrapersonal conditions. Support for Hypothesis 1 was observed in the in-phase synchronisation of tapping in both individual bimanual trials and uni-manual and bimanual tapping in dyads. By contrast, Hypothesis 2 was that the oscillatory system with the faster initial rate would decelerate, whereas the one with the slower initial rate would accelerate, as manifest in increased self-paced tapping rates amongst participants with initially slower rates and decreased rates amongst ones who initially tapped at faster rates. However, that pattern predicted in Hypothesis 2 was not observed; on the contrary, all participants increased their tapping rates in interpersonal conditions, which occurred significantly amongst participants with the lowest preferred tapping rates. Such an outcome indicates a novel aspect of synchronised movement in humans that warrants further investigation.
Highlights
In their daily lives, humans tend to synchronise their motor behaviours to those of other people
Handedness was determined for each participant by means of the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory [56], responses to which were coded on a Likert scale to compute a laterality quotient (LQ)
The second premise states that the system with the faster initial rate decelerates, whereas the one with the slower initial rate accelerates; in the study, that supposition was hypothesised to manifest as an increase in self-paced tapping rates amongst participants with slower initial tapping rates and a decrease in participants with initially faster ones
Summary
Humans tend to synchronise their motor behaviours to those of other people. Examples of the tendency include the synchronisation of gait during side-by-side walking [1,2] and the synchronisation of applause in an audience after a performance [3,4]. That effect, termed entrainment, is typically defined as the interaction and consequent temporal alignment of the pace and frequency of two or more persons’ movements (i.e. interpersonal) or the coordination of different effectors within a person (i.e. intrapersonal). Entrainment describes a shared tendency of a wide range of physical systems (e.g. pendulum clocks and pacemakers), as well as biological ones (e.g. fireflies and clouds), involving coordination of temporally structured events via energy transfer and, as such, is an emergent property of physical and biological systems [5,6,7]. Entrainment is evident in neurologically healthy individuals as well as patients
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
