Abstract
Since the discovery of the mirror neuron system in the 1980s, little, if any, research has been devoted to the study of interactive motor tasks (Goldman, 2012). Scientists interested in the neuropsychophysiological markers of joint motor action have relied on observation paradigms and passive tasks rather than dynamic paradigms and interactive tasks (Konvalinka and Roepstorff, 2012). Within this research scenario, we introduce a novel research paradigm that uses cooperative juggling as a platform to capture peripheral (e.g., skin conductance, breathing and heart rates, electromyographic signals) and central neuropsychophysiological (e.g., functional connectivity within and between brains) markers underlying the notion of team mental models (TMM). We discuss the epistemological and theoretical grounds of a cooperative juggling paradigm, and propose testable hypotheses on neuropsychophysiological markers underlying TMM. Furthermore, we present key methodological concerns that may influence peripheral responses as well as single and hyperbrain network configurations during joint motor action. Preliminary findings of the paradigm are highlighted. We conclude by delineating avenues for future research.
Highlights
Across domains of human interest, science has always evolved through research paradigms (Kuhn, 1962)
Our perspective is to propose a novel paradigm, using cooperative juggling as a platform, to identify peripheral and central neuropsychophysiological mechanisms underlying the conceptual notion of team mental models (TMM)
We propose that a juggling paradigm can greatly advance knowledge of “multi-brain” interactions during joint motor actions, akin to how research on self-paced sports was used to advance our knowledge of “single brains.”
Summary
Across domains of human interest, science has always evolved through research paradigms (Kuhn, 1962). In sport science and performance psychology, neuropsychophysiological research has been primarily shaped by the expert-novice paradigm (Eklund and Tenenbaum, 2014). Scholars have aimed to identify the neuropsychophysiological markers (i.e., neural and physiological markers associated with psychological constructs) that distinguish high-performing individuals (“experts”) from their low-performing counterparts (“novices”), and optimal (e.g., “flow-feeling”) from poor (e.g., “choke”) performance states (Yarrow et al, 2009; Bertollo et al, 2013). Various technological methodologies (e.g., fMRI, PET, NIRS, TMS) have been used to study motor tasks, most of what is known about the neuropsychophysiological markers of skilled performance is derived from electroencephalography (EEG) studies in precision sports, such as archery and pistol shooting (Hatfield and Kerick, 2007)
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