Spontaneous Interpersonal Coordination in Stepping and Autistic-Like Traits

Spontaneous behavior, matching that of others, is influenced by various social factors. Mimicking and synchronizing with others' behaviors can facilitate the development of harmonious relationships. This study examined whether the level of autistic-like traits in a non-clinical population influences the spontaneous-behavioral coordination of a dyad's stepping-on-the-spot movements. The strength of spontaneous stepping synchronization was negatively correlated with levels of autistic-like traits when participants faced one another, and no synchronization was observed for individuals with high levels of autistic-like traits. The deficit in spontaneous interpersonal behaviour-matching among individuals with high levels of autistic-like traits is discussed as a potential source of their poor social-communication abilities.

Automated summary

Spontaneous behavior, influenced by social factors, plays a role in building harmonious relationships. This study found that individuals with high levels of autistic-like traits showed poorer coordination in spontaneous stepping when facing each other, potentially indicating a source of their poor social-communication abilities.