Enhancing Assessment of Social Motor Synchrony Through Full-Body Interaction: A Novel Approach with OSMoSIS Tool

This paper reports on work in progress to develop an assessment tool for Social Motor Synchrony (SMS) in children’s interactions. Expanding upon the foundation provided by the OSMoSIS motor sonification tool, we have developed an innovative approach for measuring SMS with children. Our method aims to overcome challenges stemming from variations in research settings and objectives encountered in studying SMS within the context of full-body interaction. Current tools for investigating SMS have been conducted in fixed settings, often limiting the interacting individuals to a seated position. However, this is in stark contrast to interventions such as music therapy, where the emphasis is on full-body interactions, and the settings exhibit considerable diversity. In such contexts, unrestricted movement is recognised as a fundamental element contributing to the overall efficacy and authenticity of the therapeutic experience, making it important to preserve the inherent benefits of a naturalistic setting. The study described in this paper explores the utility of OSMoSIS as a tool for assessing social motor synchrony revealing intriguing differences when comparing OSMoSIS with the well-known MEA software. This study not only brings a fresh perspective to the evaluation of social motor synchrony but also offers unique insights that set it apart from existing tools.