Interpersonal Synchrony and Dispositional Empathy: A Review of International Research


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Abstract

Interpersonal synchrony is the process of alignment of participants in social interaction at the behavioral, physiological, or interbrain levels. This phenomenon is closely interrelated with the establishment of social contacts, the results of joint actions, the enhancement of relationships, and the development of social skills. Despite the popularity of studies of such attunement abroad, in Russian science, it is only beginning to appear. In the literature, a theoretical assumption has been made about the significance of the contribution of trait empathy to interpersonal synchrony. We understand trait empathy as the ability to experience the affective and cognitive states of another person while maintaining one’s own self. The present review is the first attempt to assess the extent to which foreign empirical studies of dyadic synchrony support the proposed hypothesis. The analysis of the literature allows us to note the heterogeneity of the studies in terms of the methods used to assess empathy and interpersonal synchrony, the experimental tasks used, and the interaction contexts studied. The results of the included works reflect contradictory results, which may be related to the mentioned heterogeneity of research designs. It has been shown that empathy can contribute to interpersonal synchrony, but this occurs primarily in dyads of previously familiar participants or in specific contexts that require the use of appropriate empathic skills. In some contexts, the level of empathy of only one of the dyad participants is more important. However, it should be noted that due to the small sample sizes and limited number of studies on the topic, conclusions about the validity of the hypothesis can only be preliminary. There is a need for more relevant studies with sample sizes reaching sufficient power, and unified experiment designs facilitate the possibility of comparing their results.

About the authors

Alena R. Vodneva

Sirius University of Science and Technology

Author for correspondence.
Email: vodneva.alena.ruslanovna@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0585-3603
SPIN-code: 7656-9240

Junior Researcher, Sirius Center for Cognitive Sciences

1 Olympiysky Ave., Sirius urban-type settlement, Federal Territory “Sirius”, Krasnodar Territory, 354340, Russian Federation

Galina V. Oreshina

Sirius University of Science and Technology

Email: oreshinagalina.kosm@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-5955-6471
SPIN-code: 8084-3501

Junior Researcher, Sirius Center for Cognitive Sciences

1 Olympiysky Ave., Sirius urban-type settlement, Federal Territory “Sirius”, Krasnodar Territory, 354340, Russian Federation

Elena L. Grigorenko

Sirius University of Science and Technology; Moscow State University of Psychology and Education; University of Houston; Baylor College of Medicine; Yale University

Email: Elena.Grigorenko@times.uh.edu
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9646-4181
SPIN-code: 4453-4618

PhD in General and Educational Psychology, PhD in Developmental Psychology and Genetics, Scientific Supervisor, Sirius Center for Cognitive Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology (Sirius, Krasnodar Region, Russia); Leading Scientist, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education (Moscow, Russia); Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of Psychology, University of Houston (Houston, TX, USA); Professor, Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, TX, USA); Professor, Yale University (New Haven, CT, USA). Honorary Editor of RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics

1 Olympiysky Ave., Sirius, Federal Territory “Sirius”, Krasnodar Territory, 354340, Russian Federation; 2 Karetny Ryad, Moscow, 127051, Russian Federation; 4300 Martin Luther King Blvd, Houston, TX, 77204, USA; 1 Baylor Plz, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT, 06518, USA

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Copyright (c) 2024 Vodneva A.R., Oreshina G.V., Grigorenko E.L.

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