Motor synchrony, social learning and closeness in group play settings

Trinh Nguyen; Bahar Tunçgenç; Lauren Marsh; Gabriela Markova; Lisa Horn; Nadine Pointner; Hanna Schleihauf; Stefanie Hoehl

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1595908

Motor synchrony, social learning and closeness in group play settings

Trinh Nguyen^*
, Bahar Tunçgenç
, Lauren Marsh
, Gabriela Markova
, Lisa Horn
, Nadine Pointner
, Hanna Schleihauf
, Stefanie Hoehl^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Introduction: Playful activities provide critical opportunities for rhythmic interactions, which may affect social and cognitive development in early childhood. Prior research suggests that motor synchrony promotes closeness and prosocial behaviour, but few studies have examined its role in social learning and in group settings.

Method: This study investigated whether motor synchrony in a clapping game, enhances preschoolers' closeness with others, imitation, over-imitation, and sharing behaviour. In a group setting, motor synchrony and asynchrony were experimentally induced between the child and two experimenters. We hypothesized that children would feel closer, imitate more, and share more with an adult partner who moved in synchrony compared to one who moved asynchronously.

Results: Bayesian analyses revealed no credible evidence that the children affiliated, imitated, over-imitated, or shared differently with their synchronous vs. asynchronous partner (BF10 = 0.045–0.216). Manipulation checks indicated that although the adults adhered to the stimuli, there was overall low motor synchrony.

Discussion: These findings highlight the challenges of inducing motor synchrony in playful group settings and raise questions about the level of synchrony necessary to impact social affiliation and learning in young children.

Original language	English
Article number	1595908
Journal	Frontiers in Psychology
Volume	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1595908
Publication status	Published - 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2025 Nguyen, Tunçgenç, Marsh, Markova, Horn, Pointner, Schleihauf and Hoehl.

Funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research and/or publication of this article. This research was supported by the University of Vienna (SH), and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (TN). Data collection was further supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF; grant V-893 awarded to LH). Additionally, TN discloses support by the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes and Horizon Europe (MSCA PF, SYNCON, 101105726). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Open access funding provided by University of Vienna.

Funders	Funder number
University of Vienna
Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
FWF Austrian Science Fund	V-893
Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes
Marie Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network (EU)	101105726

Keywords

affiliation
development
group
imitation
preschool
prosociality
sharing
synchrony

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title = "Motor synchrony, social learning and closeness in group play settings",

abstract = "Introduction: Playful activities provide critical opportunities for rhythmic interactions, which may affect social and cognitive development in early childhood. Prior research suggests that motor synchrony promotes closeness and prosocial behaviour, but few studies have examined its role in social learning and in group settings. Method: This study investigated whether motor synchrony in a clapping game, enhances preschoolers' closeness with others, imitation, over-imitation, and sharing behaviour. In a group setting, motor synchrony and asynchrony were experimentally induced between the child and two experimenters. We hypothesized that children would feel closer, imitate more, and share more with an adult partner who moved in synchrony compared to one who moved asynchronously.Results: Bayesian analyses revealed no credible evidence that the children affiliated, imitated, over-imitated, or shared differently with their synchronous vs. asynchronous partner (BF10 = 0.045–0.216). Manipulation checks indicated that although the adults adhered to the stimuli, there was overall low motor synchrony. Discussion: These findings highlight the challenges of inducing motor synchrony in playful group settings and raise questions about the level of synchrony necessary to impact social affiliation and learning in young children.",

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AU - Marsh, Lauren

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AU - Horn, Lisa

AU - Pointner, Nadine

AU - Schleihauf, Hanna

AU - Hoehl, Stefanie

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N2 - Introduction: Playful activities provide critical opportunities for rhythmic interactions, which may affect social and cognitive development in early childhood. Prior research suggests that motor synchrony promotes closeness and prosocial behaviour, but few studies have examined its role in social learning and in group settings. Method: This study investigated whether motor synchrony in a clapping game, enhances preschoolers' closeness with others, imitation, over-imitation, and sharing behaviour. In a group setting, motor synchrony and asynchrony were experimentally induced between the child and two experimenters. We hypothesized that children would feel closer, imitate more, and share more with an adult partner who moved in synchrony compared to one who moved asynchronously.Results: Bayesian analyses revealed no credible evidence that the children affiliated, imitated, over-imitated, or shared differently with their synchronous vs. asynchronous partner (BF10 = 0.045–0.216). Manipulation checks indicated that although the adults adhered to the stimuli, there was overall low motor synchrony. Discussion: These findings highlight the challenges of inducing motor synchrony in playful group settings and raise questions about the level of synchrony necessary to impact social affiliation and learning in young children.

AB - Introduction: Playful activities provide critical opportunities for rhythmic interactions, which may affect social and cognitive development in early childhood. Prior research suggests that motor synchrony promotes closeness and prosocial behaviour, but few studies have examined its role in social learning and in group settings. Method: This study investigated whether motor synchrony in a clapping game, enhances preschoolers' closeness with others, imitation, over-imitation, and sharing behaviour. In a group setting, motor synchrony and asynchrony were experimentally induced between the child and two experimenters. We hypothesized that children would feel closer, imitate more, and share more with an adult partner who moved in synchrony compared to one who moved asynchronously.Results: Bayesian analyses revealed no credible evidence that the children affiliated, imitated, over-imitated, or shared differently with their synchronous vs. asynchronous partner (BF10 = 0.045–0.216). Manipulation checks indicated that although the adults adhered to the stimuli, there was overall low motor synchrony. Discussion: These findings highlight the challenges of inducing motor synchrony in playful group settings and raise questions about the level of synchrony necessary to impact social affiliation and learning in young children.

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Motor synchrony, social learning and closeness in group play settings

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