The effects of body synchrony on prosociality: A review of research trends and challenges

Abstract

This study comprehensively reviewed prior research on body synchrony in prosociality. Empirical evidence consistently demonstrates that when individuals synchronize their movements with others, such synchrony enhances perceptions of social connectedness, including bonding and collective identity; fosters positive affective states such as well-being; and promotes prosocial attitudes and behaviors, notably trust and cooperation, directed toward both dyadic partners and groups. To examine these effects, previous studies manipulated synchrony through various procedures and assessed outcomes using behavioral indicators and psychometric measures. Several theoretical accounts have been proposed to explain these effects, emphasizing psychological processes and biological mechanisms. This review addressed body synchrony in terms of its conceptual definition and typology, methodological strategies employed to verify its effects, prosocial consequences, and the mechanisms presumed to underlie these processes. In addition, future directions and challenges are considered, including the need for a systematic investigation of the potentially negative consequences of synchrony, which remain insufficiently examined, and the development of novel methodological approaches that hold promise for advancing the empirical study of this phenomenon.