Hearts that beat in unison could be a sign of confidence. Panagiotis Mitkidis, professor of psychology and economic behavior at the University of Aarhus, Denmark, and his team have indeed demonstrated the existence of a link between confidence and physiological variables such as heartbeat.
For this, the researchers called on 74 volunteers. They participated in pairs in Lego car construction games. Half of the competitors, still in groups of two, took part in a financial investment simulation game at the same time, Public Goods Game. This exercise calls for cooperation and trust within each pair. The second half of the volunteers, meanwhile, only took part in the Lego construction set.
Result: people who played Public Goods Game presented cardiac synchronies within the same pair. The heart changes observed by the researchers involved both the timing and excitement of the rhythms, measured in beats per minute. In addition, the researchers observed that the degree of synchrony was predictive of participants’ expectations of their partner in the Public Goods Game investment game.
The biological mechanisms responsible for this synchrony are still unknown. Nevertheless, the authors of this study specify that synchrony could be used as an indicator of good relationships and good group dynamics. Synchrony might also reflect trust in another person’s behavior. Thus the analysis of such physiological responses could constitute a new tool to better understand our social behaviors.
>> To read also:
4 scientific proof that friends are good for you
3 exercises to regain self-confidence
Spreading gossip is good for your health
Couple: sleep at the same pace to be happy
