Beyond Mimicry: Comparing the Roles of Inter-Individual Coordination Mechanisms in Human Pair-Bonding

Abstract

Inter-individual coordination (IIC) encompasses a variety of mechanisms, including mimicry, synchrony, complementarity, and turn-taking, that play important roles in romantic human pair-bonding. Although previous research has emphasized the significance of these mechanisms, particularly mimicry, the specific contribution of each remains unclear. Moreover, an integrative framework that brings together findings across studies and examines how these mechanisms operate at different stages of relationships is still lacking. In this thesis, the relationship between IIC mechanisms and the formation and maintenance of pair-bonds will be explored. This review suggests that while all IIC mechanisms support romantic pair-bonding, their influence may be applied in different ways and vary depending on the stage of the relationship. Importantly, mimicry is especially significant during the early stages by fostering rapport and emotional connection, whereas complementarity and synchrony may become more central to maintaining long-term relationship quality. Furthermore, it is highlighted that the positive interpersonal effects of mimicry do not apply uniformly across all behaviours and this may be context-dependent. In addition, key limitations in the current body of research, including the uncertainty around causal directions and the lack of standardized definitions and measurements across disciplines are discussed. Together, this thesis highlights the different roles of IIC mechanisms, and the behaviours they entail, to gain better understand how IIC mechanisms shape and sustain human pair-bonding.