Psychology Department
Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts
Ph.D., University of Connecticut
Fields:ÌýCognitive Science, interpersonal coordination, interlimb coordination, dynamical theories of behavior, ecological psychology
• CV (PDF) »Ìý
·¡³¾²¹¾±±ô:Ìýrschmidt@holycross.edu
Office Phone: 508-793-2244
Office: Beaven 330
PO Box: 176A
Zoom Office Hours:ÌýTuesdays 10:00 -11:00 AM and Wednesdays 1:00 -2:00 PM
Social Motor Coordination Research
Ìý My research investigates how people coordinate their bodily movements when they interact xxxÖ±²¥ly. The objective of the research is to be able to understand the structure of the interpersonal bodily coordination in different kinds of xxxÖ±²¥ interactions such as collision avoidance (like when you are walking down the hall and you and the person coming the other way have to avoid one another), competitive sports (such as in martial arts) and in conversations (such as when you are telling a joke or making a decision about something with someone). Past research has found that movements in all these kinds of xxxÖ±²¥ interaction are unintentionally synchronized and dance-like. That is, there is an implicit 'dance' that underlies our interactions with others although we are not aware of it. The overall goal of my research is to understand the dynamical and perceptual constraints that underlie this xxxÖ±²¥ motor coordination. Additionally my research investigates how this xxxÖ±²¥ motor 'dance' becomes dis-synchronous in autism and schizophrenia in order to help understand the xxxÖ±²¥ interaction problems of these populations and to create effective therapies to facilitate remediation. Another goal of the research is to capture xxxÖ±²¥ motor 'dances' in mathematical models in order to program artificial agents such as robots and avatars so that they can interact with humans more naturally.