Physio-behavioral Synchronicity as an Index of Processes Supporting Team Performance

Recent research suggests that synchronicity in physiological and behavioral responses during team tasks could provide an objective measure of processes underlying team performance. In this study, twenty dyads completed a series of trials in a variant of video game Tetris (Quadra). Task performance was divided between the participants such that they had to work interdependently to succeed. Team-paired cardiac interbeat intervals (IBIs) and postural sway (anterior-posterior head motion) were analyzed using Cross-Sample Entropy (CSEn) as indices of physiobehavioral synchronicity. Quantity of team verbal communication (number of words spoken) and a survey measure of team cohesion were also assessed. An increase in team performance was found to be associated with a decrease in IBI synchronicity, while an increase in team verbal communication was related to both an in increase postural sway synchronicity and team cohesion. Overall, this research supports the assertion that metrics of team synchronicity may serve as useful surrogate indices of team processes and performance.