May the best joint-actions win: Physiological linkage during competition.
Open accessAbstract
Previous work showed that, when we interact with other people, an alignment of psychophysiological measures occur as a clue about the intensity of the social interaction. Available evidence highlighted increase autonomic synchrony, known as physiological linkage, during intense dyadic situations, like conflictual conversations within romantic couples, friends, or therapeutic settings. Starting from the idea that higher physiological linkage could support better performance and be correlated with approach attitudes (Behavioral Activation System, BAS), in the present study a conflictual situation was proposed by making subjects compete during an attentional task and stressing the importance to win as a measure of future professional success. Autonomic activity (electrodermal: skin conductance level and response: SCL, SCR; and cardiovascular indices: heart rate: HR) was recorded during the task, where subjects received trial-related feedbacks on their performance, and an average score halfway which (fictitiously) assessed their position in terms of accuracy and reaction times with respect to the opponent. In parallel, behavioral inhibition and activation have been assessed by means of the Behavioral Inhibition/Activation System Questionnaire (BIS/BAS). 32 subjects coupled in 16 dyads were recruited. Intra-subject analyses revealed that, after the general evaluation assessing a winning condition, the behavioral performance improved and the electrodermal response increased. Also, correlational analyses showed a relation between BAS, and specifically BAS reward, with SCR. Inter-subject analyses showed higher synchrony in SCR and HR after the feedback. Such results confirm the increased synchronic effect after a highly conflictual condition, and the presence of a relation between subjective performance, approach-related motivations, and physiological linkage.
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In joint tasks like cooperative or competitive games, strangers displayed skin conductance and heart rate synchrony within a single session.
“In joint tasks like cooperative or competitive games, strangers displayed skin conductance and heart rate synchrony within a single session (76).”
From Physiological attunement and flourishing: understanding the influence of relationships on health (2025) · cites this paper as [76]
The Participants section (p. 3) says dyad members had not met before the experimental session, and the Discussion (p. 6) reports heightened skin-conductance response (SCR) and heart-rate synchrony in the second half of the competitive task. The study did not test a cooperative game, so it does not establish the same finding for strangers in cooperative tasks. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn collaborative attentional tasks, attunement was stronger during novel tasks and increased when participants received positive feedback, which related to better adaptation and group cohesion.
“Also, in collaborative attentional tasks, Vanutelli et al. (76) showed that attunement was stronger during novel tasks and increased when participants received a positive feedback, which related to better adaptation and group cohesion.”
From Physiological attunement and flourishing: understanding the influence of relationships on health (2025) · cites this paper as [76]
The Discussion (p. 6) reports increased physiological synchrony after feedback, and the Procedure (p. 3) describes feedback telling participants they were outperforming their opponent. But this was a competitive attentional task, not a collaborative one. The paper does not report stronger attunement during novel tasks or link its findings to better adaptation and group cohesion. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredHigher Behavioral Activation System (BAS) reward scores correlated with increased electrodermal activity, suggesting a motivational impact of winning on physiological responses.
“Higher Behavioral Activation System (BAS) reward scores correlated with increased electrodermal activity, suggesting a motivational impact of winning on physiological responses.”
From Physiological attunement and flourishing: understanding the influence of relationships on health (2025) · cites this paper as [76]
Intra-subject analyses showed improved behavioral performance following the general evaluation assessing a winning condition.
“Intra-subject analyses showed improved behavioral performance following the general evaluation assessing a winning condition.”
From Physiological attunement and flourishing: understanding the influence of relationships on health (2025) · cites this paper as [76]
Inter-subject analyses revealed significant physiological synchrony (skin conductance response and heart rate) after feedback was provided.
“Inter-subject analyses revealed significant physiological synchrony (skin conductance response and heart rate) after the feedback was provided.”
From Physiological attunement and flourishing: understanding the influence of relationships on health (2025) · cites this paper as [76]
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Balconi, M., Allegretta, R. A., & Angioletti, L. (2023) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2023.1200750 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Self-citationPhysiological attunement and flourishing: understanding the influence of relationships on health
Bastos, M. A. V., Braz, D. F., Porto, A. L. M., Cordeiro, K. S. D. S., Portella, R. B., & Granger, D. A. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1614379 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“Also, in collaborative attentional tasks, Vanutelli et al. (76) showed that attunement was stronger during novel tasks and increased when participants received a positive feedback, which related to better adaptation and group cohesion.”
- Authors
- Vanutelli, M. E., Gatti, L., Angioletti, L., & Balconi, M.
- Affiliations
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Balconi, Michela
- Venue
- Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback
- Published
- 2018-07-05
- Volume
- 43
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 227-237
- ISSN
- 0363-3586 (ISSN-L)
- 1090-0586
- 1573-3270
- OpenAlex
- W2842601781
- Cited by
- 15
- References
- 72
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 0.57
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- other-oa
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca (Universita Degli Studi Di Milano) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- BOA (University of Milano-Bicocca) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Keywords
- competition, dyadic interaction, skin conductance response, heart rate, behavioral activation system, behavioral inhibition system, approach motivation, performance feedback, electrodermal activity
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Attention, Female, Galvanic Skin Response, Heart Rate, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Italy, Male, Motivation, Psychophysiology, Surveys and Questionnaires, Reaction Time, Young Adult
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