The social brain: how belief in agency shapes sensorimotor synchronization

As a doctoral researcher, my contribution to this project focuses on the idea that simply feeling connected to another person, sensing that "someone is really with me", can change how the brain keeps time with them.

At Stanford, I will design an experiment in which people synchronize movements with a partner they believe is either responding to them live or merely pre-recorded, while what they see and hear remains the same. By recording the brain's electrophysiological activity during these interactions, I aim to capture the neuronal basis of social connection and measure how it shapes anticipatory and coordinated movement. I will bring my knowledge in movement science and my expertise in rhythm and social interaction studies; at Stanford, I will learn new methods to study the brain activity in auditory-motor contexts with experts among the best worldwide. The sense of connection to others is challenged in many neurological, neurodevelopmental, and psychiatric conditions.

By understanding how it operates in the healthy brain, my long-term hope is to support people whose ability to connect and coordinate with others is affected. I will play a central role in a project bridging my research networks in France and Stanford University.