Citation

Koban L, Ramamoorthy A, Konvalinka I. Soc. Neurosci. 2019; 14(1): 1-9.

Affiliation

Section for Cognitive Systems, Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science , Technical University of Denmark , Denmark.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/17470919.2017.1400463

PMID

29091537

Abstract

Spontaneous interpersonal synchronization of rhythmic behavior such as gait or clapping is a ubiquitous phenomenon in human interactions, and is potentially important for social relationships and action understanding. Although several authors have suggested a role of the mirror neuron system in interpersonal coupling, the underlying brain mechanisms are not well understood. Here we argue that more general theories of neural computations, namely predictive coding and the Free Energy Principle, could explain interpersonal coordination dynamics. Each brain minimizes coding costs by reducing the mismatch between the representations of observed and own motor behavior. Continuous mutual prediction and alignment result in an overall minimization of free energy, thus forming a stable attractor state.

Language: en

Keywords

Social interaction; optimization; prediction; social bonding; synchronization