Tapping with a stranger: How does empathy mediate the affiliative effects of interpersonal synchronisation?

Abstract

Disciplinary background A. Music. The study is informed by music studies focusing on interpersonal synchronisation during musical interactions between individuals with little or no formal musical training. Disciplinary background B. Psychology. The study draws on research work in psychology that focuses on trait empathy and the emergence of social bonding through non-verbal interactions. Abstract The present study aims to explore how trait empathy mediates the feelings of closeness, similarity and empathy stemming from synchronous musical interactions in individuals with little or no formal musical training. In addition, the study seeks to explore how changes in the musical and social environment of a joint action might influence this role of empathy in mediating the affiliative effects of synchronisation. Background: In the last decades, research has revealed that moving, tapping or playing music in synchrony with others fosters group cohesion and social bonding (Vicaria & Dickens, 2016; Stupacher, Maes et al., 2017). Researchers have also recently observed an association between trait empathy and the strength of those social bonding effects stemming from synchronisation, i.e. one might experience stronger or weaker effects depending on their empathy level (Stupacher, Mikkelsen & Vuust, 2021). However, this mediating role of empathy appears highly susceptible to changes in the musical and social environment of an interaction and requires further investigation (Stupacher, Mikkelsen & Vuust, 2021). We, therefore, sought to explore the changes that might influence this role of empathy by implementing two different musical settings (a finger-tapping and an observational task - social changes) with music in three different tempi (musical changes). The purpose of the two tasks was to detect any differences in the role of empathy when individuals actively engage or passively observe a musical interaction. Furthermore, the different tempi sought to elucidate further the impact of music on this relationship between empathising and synchronising with others. Methods: Eighty-five participants with little or no previous musical training were recruited, and their empathy was measured using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (