Abstract
Group coordination passes through an efficient integration of multimodal sources of information. This study examines complex non-verbal communication by recording movement kinematics from conductors and two sections of violinists of an orchestra adapting to a perturbation affecting their normal pattern of sensorimotor communication (rotation of half a turn of the first violinists’ section). We show that different coordination signals are channeled through ancillary (head kinematics) and instrumental movements (bow kinematics). Each one of them affect coordination either at the inter-group or intra-group levels, therefore tapping into different modes of cooperation: complementary versus imitative coordination. Our study suggests that the co-regulation of group behavior is based on the exchange of information across several layers, each one of them tuned to carry specific coordinative signals. Multi-layer sensorimotor communication may be the key musicians and, more generally humans, use to flexibly communicate between each other in interactive sensorimotor tasks.
Highlights
Group coordination passes through an efficient integration of multimodal sources of information
For each of the windows, we considered an input matrix composed of 300 rows and 4 columns to which we applied the Matlab princomp function, after a zscore normalization of the input matrix
The %PC1 increased from Norm to Pert for S1 (Fig. 2B, left panel; p < 0.01; t = −3.22) while decreased for S2 (p < 0.001; t = 4.03)
Summary
Group coordination passes through an efficient integration of multimodal sources of information. A large body of literature has focused on cooperation towards shared goals, where humans must combine available sensory information with internal movement production models[1,2,3,4] In this regard, researchers investigated how dyads achieve interpersonal simple sensorimotor coordination, such as walking side-by-side[5] or rocking in rocking-chairs[6]. Proper quantification of (realistic) group coordination is today one of the key missing elements to understand how humans manage to interact with others by efficiently selecting, processing and sending information In this context, ensemble musicians have been proposed as an ideal model, by keeping the key multidimensional properties of natural sensorimotor interaction, but allowing relatively good experimental control[14,15]. Chang and colleagues[20] quantified the intentionality of emotional expression using body sway kinematics of quartet musicians and Granger-Causality tools
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