Eleventh International School on Mind, Brain and Education
2016 September 7–13
Dynamical Coupling:
From Brain-to-Brain to Social Interaction
Directors of the School: Antonio M. Battro and Kurt W. Fischer
Directors of the Course: Uri Hasson and Thalia Wheatley
Dartmouth College, USA
How we connect: From shared experience to social networks
The human brain evolved to be massively interactive with its social environment. It is perhaps not surprising, therefore, that coupled dynamics are foundational to a diverse array of social phenomena. I will present work from my lab that suggests that coupling underlies the kinetic and emotional power of music, variability in shared experience due to emotion and empathy, and the shape of our social networks. I will also discuss how this kind of synchronous coupling is part of a larger puzzle of human connectedness that will require a shift from current scientific practices to methods that better simulate our dynamic, interactive and socially embedded world.