Applications of Synergetics in Psychology: Interpersonal Synchrony in Social Systems

Wolfgang Tschacher^*

• Universitätsklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

The Haken-Kelso-Bunz paradigm of motor coordination has instigated experimental research on pattern formation with a focus on body movement in intra-as well as interpersonal contexts. The current research on interpersonal synchrony in psychology can be seen to generalize on this initial synergetic approach. A large body of evidence has been aggregated to date showing that synchrony is a common signature of social systems as studied in psychotherapy research, in social psychology and in the dynamics of large groups. Interestingly, such synchronization processes occur spontaneously, generally outside the awareness of the individuals involved in them. Novel qualities arise due to interpersonal synchrony, which is reminiscent of self-organization as conceived by Haken's Synergetics. The degree of synchrony of physiological and behavioral processes was often found associated with cognitive and emotional variables and is thus considered an important aspect of 'embodied cognition'. Therefore, synchrony additionally points to circular causality in mind-body relations and throws a light on the synergetic slaving principle in psychology.