CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2026
| Author | Wiedemann, Elisa |
|---|---|
| Title | Self-Other Relations in Interpersonal Synchrony |
| Summary | This thesis examines self-other relations in interpersonal synchrony. Taking an experimental approach, we investigated in a series of experiments whether performing the same movements at the same time as another person leads to an increase in self-other overlap, thereby enhancing affiliation. We found that interpersonal synchrony affects perceived, but not motor-level self-other overlap, suggesting that it is likely a social recategorization of the self in relation to others that gives rise to the effects of interpersonal synchrony. In a further qualitative study, we addressed the experience elicited by interpersonal synchrony in discrete and continuous movement contexts, finding that the experience of interpersonal coordination can be described as following a generic diachronic structure made up of three phases: an initial phase of starting, a phase of (non-)adaptation, and a phase of stable coordination. We also found evidence for some structural variations, such as the addition of a phase of experimenting, as well as inter-individual variation, particularly with respect to (non-)adaptation and experimenting. Finally, an experimental study with 18-month-olds considered the phenomenon of interpersonal synchrony in development, examining its effects of self-other alignment and its links to toddlers’ development of a self concept. This study showed that interpersonal (a-)synchrony highlights the (dis-)similarity between self and other but that toddlers’ responses to it differ between measures and with their self-concept development. Overall, the findings presented in this thesis suggest that interpersonal synchrony acts as a cue to group membership by prompting a social recategorization of the self in relation to one’s movement partner(s) and that the context in which interpersonal synchrony occurs affects the way people experience the interaction. |
| Supervisor | Sebanz, Natalie; Knoblich, Günther |
| Department | Cognitive Science Ps |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2026/wiedemann_elisa.pdf |
Visit the CEU Library.
© 2007-2025, Central European University