Designing and investigating mobile phone activities for remote interpersonal motor synchronization

Research on the time-based alignment of people's movement - interpersonal motor synchrony (IMS) - shows that engaging in synchronous movement with another person increases prosocial attitudes such as empathy and willingness to help. We present exploratory research concerning IMS over a distance through interactive interfaces. A mobile phone-based platform with two simple remote IMS (rIMS) activities was designed, developed, and tested with pairs of remote participants in real-world conditions. One activity required remote participants to tap in synchrony by finding a shared tempo, and the second required them to take turns spinning an animated wheel by swiping in counter-phase synchrony. A user study in a realistic setting found that even minimalistic smartphone applications can be used to induce successful rIMS, that the level of synchronization achieved is associated with improvements in interpersonal measures, and that network delays adversely affect rIMS. We discuss the use of feedback and constraints in rIMS designs. The results of this exploratory system forge a path towards simple IMS activities integrated into daily mobile phone usage, benefiting people's connection from afar. Possible applications and integration of rIMS into more complex remote interactions are suggested.