Functional Synchronization: The Emergence of Coordinated Activity in Human Systems

Frontiers in Psychology

Michal Zochowski¹  Andrzej Nowak²  Robin R. Vallacher²  Agnieszka Rychwalska⁴ 

[1] Department of Physics and Biophysics Program, University of Michigan, Ann ArborMI, United States;Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca RatonFL, United States;Department of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and HumanitiesWarsaw, Poland;The Robert Zajonc Institute for Social Studies, University of WarsawWarsaw, Poland;

关键词: synchronization;    function;    self-organization;    mind;    brain;    social systems;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00945

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The topical landscape of psychology is highly compartmentalized, with distinct phenomena explained and investigated with recourse to theories and methods that have little in common. Our aim in this article is to identify a basic set of principles that underlie otherwise diverse aspects of human experience at all levels of psychological reality, from neural processes to group dynamics. The core idea is that neural, behavioral, mental, and social structures emerge through the synchronization of lower-level elements (e.g., neurons, muscle movements, thoughts and feelings, individuals) into a functional unit—a coherent structure that functions to accomplish tasks. The coherence provided by the formation of functional units may be transient, persisting only as long as necessary to perform the task at hand. This creates the potential for the repeated assembly and disassembly of functional units in accordance with changing task demands. This perspective is rooted in principles of complexity science and non-linear dynamical systems and is supported by recent discoveries in neuroscience and recent models in cognitive and social psychology. We offer guidelines for investigating the emergence of functional units in different domains, thereby honoring the topical differentiation of psychology while providing an integrative foundation for the field.

【 授权许可】

Unknown