Social cognition
How mirroring body movements affects our feelings
Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC
Moving in sync with another person during a conversation naturally boosts positive emotions and reduces negative ones, even if the interaction is competitive.
Key findings
The researchers found that physical synchrony occurred at above-chance levels in all interactions, with the highest levels seen during the humorous task. Synchrony predicted an increase in positive feelings and a decrease in negative feelings after the interactions. Analysis of the timing of these ratings suggested that physical synchrony drove the changes in emotion, rather than participants' pre-existing moods causing them to move in sync.
Methodology
Researchers recorded 168 participants paired into 84 same-sex dyads as they engaged in short discussions. These discussions included both cooperative and competitive debates on social topics, plus a final humorous task. Using automated video analysis, they tracked physical coordination and asked participants to report their emotions before and after each interaction.
Limitations
This study only included same-sex pairings, meaning the findings might not apply to interactions between men and women. Additionally, the participants were highly educated university students, which limits how well these results represent the general public. Finally, because the humorous task was always completed last, the study cannot rule out the possibility that fatigue or habituation over time influenced the high coordination and low negative affect seen in that specific task.
How this study connects
Role on claims
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Engaging in physical synchrony with another person during a conversation promotes positive affect and reduces negative emotions, regardless of whether the interaction is cooperative or competitive.
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