Cross-Recurrence Quantification Analysis of the Influence of Coupling Constraints on Interpersonal Coordination and Communication

This chapter describes a methodological strategy for studying the influence of coupling constraints on interpersonal coordination using cross-recurrence quantification analysis (CRQA). In Study 1, we investigated interpersonal coordination during conversation in virtual-reality (VR) and real-world environments. Consistent with previous studies, we found enhanced coordination when participants were talking to each other compared to when they were talking to experimenters. In doing so we also demonstrated the utility of VR in studying interpersonal coordination involved in cooperative conversation. In Study 2, we investigated the influence of mechanical coupling on interpersonal coordination and communication, in which conversing pairs were coupled mechanically (standing on the same balance board) or not (they stood on individual balance boards). We found a relationship between movement coordination and performance in a conversational task in the coupled condition, suggesting a functional link between coordination and communication. We offer these studies as methodological examples of how CRQA can be used to study the relation between interpersonal coordination and conversation.