Interpersonal Physiological Synchrony in Mixed Reality Manufacturing Environments: Evaluating Shared Mental Models in Dyadic and Triadic Teams.

Abstract

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONSThis study explores the relationship between interpersonal physiological synchrony and shared mental models (SMMs) in collaborative mixed reality (MR) manufacturing environments. By integrating heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) data with team-level SMM assessments, we show that real-time physiological alignment serves as a meaningful correlate of team cognition during virtual collaboration. Physiological synchrony measures also distinguished high- and low-performing teams, indicating potential value for monitoring team effectiveness. These findings have direct implications for occupational training and performance monitoring in high-stakes manufacturing contexts. Physiological synchrony offers practitioners a non-intrusive, real-time indicator of interaction quality complementing conventional approaches. Our findings further suggest that triadic teams exhibited stronger physiological alignment and more robust SMMs than dyads, informing decisions about team structuring and collaborative task design. Incorporating physiological monitoring into MR training platforms can identify breakdowns in shared understanding and provide adaptive feedback, enabling targeted interventions to improve coordination, safety, and productivity.