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daSilva EB, Wood A. How and Why People Synchronize: An Integrated Perspective. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW 2024:10888683241252036. [PMID: 38770754 DOI: 10.1177/10888683241252036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Academic AbstractInterpersonal synchrony, the alignment of behavior and/or physiology during interactions, is a pervasive phenomenon observed in diverse social contexts. Here we synthesize across contexts and behaviors to classify the different forms and functions of synchrony. We provide a concise framework for classifying the manifold forms of synchrony along six dimensions: periodicity, discreteness, spatial similarity, directionality, leader-follower dynamics, and observability. We also distill the various proposed functions of interpersonal synchrony into four interconnected functions: reducing complexity and improving understanding, accomplishing joint tasks, strengthening social connection, and influencing partners' behavior. These functions derive from first principles, emerge from each other, and are accomplished by some forms of synchrony more than others. Effective synchrony flexibly adapts to social goals and more synchrony is not always better. Our synthesis offers a shared framework and language for the field, allowing for better cross-context and cross-behavior comparisons, generating new hypotheses, and highlighting future research directions.
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Aijaz M, Lewis VA, Murray GF. Advancing equity in challenging times: A qualitative study of telehealth expansion and changing patient-provider relationships in primary care settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Digit Health 2024; 10:20552076241233148. [PMID: 38434791 PMCID: PMC10906055 DOI: 10.1177/20552076241233148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective The patient-provider relationship is critical for achieving high-quality care and better health outcomes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, primary care practices rapidly transitioned to telehealth. While telehealth provided critical access to services for many, not all patients could optimally utilize it, raising concerns about its potential to exacerbate inequities in patient-provider relationships. We investigated technical and workforce-related barriers to accessing telehealth and the impacts on patient-provider relationships for vulnerable populations. Methods Qualitative, semi-structured interviews from May 2021 to August 2021 with 31 individuals (medical directors, physicians, and medical assistants) working at 20 primary care practices in Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Texas. Thematic analysis to better understand how barriers to using telehealth complicated patient-provider relationships. Results Interviewees shared challenges for providers and patients that had a negative effect on patient-provider relationships, particularly for vulnerable patients, including older adults, lower socio-economic status patients, and those with limited English proficiency. Providers faced logistical challenges and disruptions in team-based care, reducing care coordination. Patients experienced technological challenges that made accessing and engaging in telehealth difficult. Interviewees shared challenges for patient-provider relationships as commonly used telephone-only telehealth reduced channels for non-verbal communication. Conclusion This study indicates that barriers to virtual interaction with patients compared to in-person care likely led to weaker personal relationships that may have longer-term effects on engagement with and trust in the healthcare system, particularly among vulnerable patient groups. Additional support and resources should be available to primary care providers to optimize telehealth utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monisa Aijaz
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Valerie A Lewis
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Genevra F Murray
- Department of Public Health Policy and Management, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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Marzoratti A, Liu ME, Krol KM, Sjobeck GR, Lipscomb DJ, Hofkens TL, Boker SM, Pelphrey KA, Connelly JJ, Evans TM. Epigenetic modification of the oxytocin receptor gene is associated with child-parent neural synchrony during competition. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 63:101302. [PMID: 37734257 PMCID: PMC10518595 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Interpersonal neural synchrony (INS) occurs when neural electrical activity temporally aligns between individuals during social interactions. It has been used as a metric for interpersonal closeness, often during naturalistic child-parent interactions. This study evaluated whether other biological correlates of social processing predicted the prevalence of INS during child-parent interactions, and whether their observed cooperativity modulated this association. Child-parent dyads (n = 27) performed a visuospatial tower-building task in cooperative and competitive conditions. Neural activity was recorded using mobile electroencephalogram (EEG) headsets, and experimenters coded video-recordings post-hoc for behavioral attunement. DNA methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTRm) was measured, an epigenetic modification associated with reduced oxytocin activity and socioemotional functioning. Greater INS during competition was associated with lower child OXTRm, while greater behavioral attunement during competition and cooperation was associated with higher parent OXTRm. These differential relationships suggest that interpersonal dynamics as measured by INS may be similarly reflected by other biological markers of social functioning, irrespective of observed behavior. Children's self-perceived communication skill also showed opposite associations with parent and child OXTRm, suggesting complex relationships between children's and their parents' social functioning. Our findings have implications for ongoing developmental research, supporting the utility of biological metrics in characterizing interpersonal relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Analia Marzoratti
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Megan E Liu
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kathleen M Krol
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Gus R Sjobeck
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Daniel J Lipscomb
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Tara L Hofkens
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Steven M Boker
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Jessica J Connelly
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Tanya M Evans
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
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Yap SS, Ramseyer FT, Fachner J, Maidhof C, Tschacher W, Tucek G. Dyadic nonverbal synchrony during pre and post music therapy interventions and its relationship to self-reported therapy readiness. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:912729. [PMID: 36147296 PMCID: PMC9485672 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.912729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Nonverbal interpersonal synchronization has been established as an important factor in therapeutic relationships, and the differentiation of who leads the interaction appears to provide further important information. We investigated nonverbal synchrony - quantified as the coordination of body movement between patient and therapist. This was observed in music therapy dyads, while engaged in verbal interaction before and after a music intervention in the session. We further examined associations with patients' self-reported therapy readiness at the beginning of the session. Eleven neurological in-patients participated in this study. Our results showed an increase in both nonverbal synchrony and patient leading after the music intervention. A significant negative correlation was found between self-reported therapy readiness and nonverbal synchrony after the music intervention. These findings point to the empathic ability of the music therapist to sense patients' therapy readiness. Higher patient leading in nonverbal synchrony after the music intervention may thus indicate that the music intervention may have allowed dyadic entrainment to take place, potentially increasing self-regulation and thus empowering patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun Sun Yap
- Department of Health Sciences, Institute of Health Sciences and Midwifery, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Krems an der Donau, Austria
- Josef Ressel Centre for Horizons of Personalised Music Therapy, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Krems an der Donau, Austria
- Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Fabian T. Ramseyer
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jörg Fachner
- Josef Ressel Centre for Horizons of Personalised Music Therapy, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Krems an der Donau, Austria
- Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Clemens Maidhof
- Josef Ressel Centre for Horizons of Personalised Music Therapy, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Krems an der Donau, Austria
- Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Wolfgang Tschacher
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gerhard Tucek
- Department of Health Sciences, Institute of Health Sciences and Midwifery, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Krems an der Donau, Austria
- Josef Ressel Centre for Horizons of Personalised Music Therapy, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Krems an der Donau, Austria
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Völter C, Oberländer K, Mertens S, Ramseyer FT. Nonverbal synchrony in subjects with hearing impairment and their significant others. Front Psychol 2022; 13:964547. [PMID: 36059730 PMCID: PMC9434370 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.964547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Hearing loss has a great impact on the people affected, their close partner and the interaction between both, as oral communication is restricted. Nonverbal communication, which expresses emotions and includes implicit information on interpersonal relationship, has rarely been studied in people with hearing impairment (PHI). In psychological settings, non-verbal synchrony of body movements in dyads is a reliable method to study interpersonal relationship. Material and methods A 10-min social interaction was videorecorded in 39 PHI (29 spouses and 10 parent-child dyads) and their significant others (SOs). Nonverbal synchrony, which means the nonverbal behaviors of two interacting persons (referring to both general synchrony and the role of leading) and verbal interaction (percentage of speech, frequency of repetitions, and queries) were analyzed by computer algorithms and observer ratings. Hearing-related quality of life, coping mechanisms, general psychopathology, quality of relationship, and burden of hearing loss experienced by SOs were assessed using questionnaires. Results In the 39 dyads, true nonverbal synchrony differed from pseudosynchrony [t(43.4) = 2.41; p = 0.02] with a medium effect size (d = 0.42). Gender of PHI had a significant effect on general synchrony (p = 0.025) and on leading by SOs (p = 0.017). Age gap correlated with synchronic movements (p = 0.047). Very short duration of hearing impairment was associated with lower nonverbal synchrony in the role of leading by SOs (p = 0.031). Feeling of closeness by PHI correlated negatively with the role of leading by SOs (p > 0.001) and feeling of closeness by SOs was positively associated with leading by PHI (p = 0.015). No correlation was detected between nonverbal synchrony and other questionnaires. Burden experienced by the SOs was higher in SOs who reported less closeness (p = 0.014). Discussion A longer hearing impairment leads to more nonverbal leading by SOs compared to PHI with very short duration of hearing loss, possibly because of the long-lasting imbalance in communication. If PHI felt more closeness, SOs led less and vice versa. Burden experienced by SOs negatively correlated with closeness reported by SOs. Use of nonverbal signals and communication might help to improve benefits of auditory rehabilitation for PHI and decrease burden experienced by SOs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiane Völter
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic Hospital Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- *Correspondence: Christiane Völter
| | - Kirsten Oberländer
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic Hospital Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sophie Mertens
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic Hospital Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Fabian T. Ramseyer
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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