Synchronized movement experience enhances peer cooperation in preschool children

Tal-Chen Rabinowitch; Andrew N Meltzoff

doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2017.03.001

Synchronized movement experience enhances peer cooperation in preschool children

J Exp Child Psychol. 2017 Aug:160:21-32. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2017.03.001. Epub 2017 Apr 13.

Authors

Tal-Chen Rabinowitch¹, Andrew N Meltzoff²

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
² Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. Electronic address: meltzoff@u.washington.edu.

PMID: 28412556
DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2017.03.001

Abstract

Cooperating with other people is a key achievement in child development and is essential for human culture. We examined whether we could induce 4-year-old children to increase their cooperation with an unfamiliar peer by providing the peers with synchronized motion experience prior to the tasks. Children were randomly assigned to independent treatment and control groups. The treatment of synchronous motion caused children to enhance their cooperation, as measured by the speed of joint task completion, compared with control groups that underwent asynchronous motion or no motion at all. Further analysis suggested that synchronization experience increased intentional communication between peer partners, resulting in increased coordination and cooperation.

Keywords: Children; Cooperation; Intention communication; Music; Peers; Prosocial; Social cognition; Synchrony.

MeSH terms

Child Development / physiology*
Child, Preschool
Cooperative Behavior*
Female
Humans
Interpersonal Relations*
Male
Movement / physiology*
Peer Group*
Social Behavior*