Study of Multimodal Intra- and Interpersonal Synchronizations in Social Interaction in Individuals with a Diagnosis of Schizophrenia.

The aim of this study is to precisely identify deficits in intra- and interpersonal multimodal synchronizations during social interaction in individuals with schizophrenia (ISZ). During a social interaction, individuals use both visual and auditory channels to construct their discourse. The auditory channel encompasses the semantics and prosody of the speech, while the visual channel describes the entirety of non-verbal gestures (e.g., facial expressions, body movements). Prosody and non-verbal gestures are essential elements for the speaker. By accompanying speech, they contribute to the planning and conceptualization of the utterance and enhance its communicative power. For the listener, prosody and non-verbal gestures are also used to provide sensory feedback to the speaker.

Several studies have shown the existence of intrapersonal and interpersonal synchronizations of prosody and non-verbal gestures during interaction. These synchronizations are associated with numerous social benefits (e.g., increased mutual appreciation and quality of interaction). However, certain mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, exhibit deficits in non-verbal behaviors that can impair these synchronizations and the associated social benefits. We hypothetized that interaction with individuals with a daignosis of schizophrenia will be associated with deficits in intra and interpersonal synchronization.