Understanding human encounters goes beyond explaining musculoskeletal coordination: a review

Abstract

Complex systems theory has become one of the main frameworks to understand, model and explain interactional phenomena such as interpersonal coordination. In her paper, Butler (this issue) applies this approach to theorise about coordination at large, including human interactions. We argue that the all-encompassing language of complex systems theory leads to overemphasising the physical aspects that human interactions share with other coordinated systems in nature. This emphasis ultimately disregards the meaningful dimension implied in any human movement, understanding it as mechanical motion, rather than expressive actions.

Keywords: Complex systems theory; coordination; human interaction; meaning‌; synchrony.