A Framework for Interpersonal Synergy Research—Contexts,Theories,and Methods

Abstract

Interpersonal synergy offers a conceptual and methodological framework for analyzing coordinated interaction in dyads and groups. The framework aims at an inquiry of how individuals contribute to a collective behavior and how, in doing so, they coordinate and co-adapt their actions, hereby establishing specific patterns of interplay. The present review retraces the origins of the notion of interpersonal synergy, assesses its scope, delineates synergies from other forms of interaction, and discusses possible mechanisms (such as mutual affordance responsiveness or shared intentions) that mediate the creation of such synergies. It then presents a contrastive “bestiary” of synergy types, which highlights the many shapes and forms in which the phenomenon occurs (e.g., collaborative vs. competitive, spontaneous vs. planned). The final two sections survey analytical approaches, from quantitative metrics which formalize “dynamic fingerprints” of collective dynamics to qualitative and mixed methods studies, which include 1^st person perspectives on synergy formation.