Understanding the effects of rhythmic coordination on children's prosocial behaviours

Abstract Joint rhythmic activities are known to be able to enhance prosociality in both adults and children. A large body of research shows that rhythmic coordination could promote bonding and increase prosocial behaviours such as helping, cooperating and sharing, suggesting that rhythmic interaction could be an effective tool to promote children's prosocial development. Nevertheless, the mechanism underlying the prosocial effects of rhythmic activities remains under debate. In this brief paper, we review a selection of literature that examines this mechanism from the perspective of interpersonal coordination, discussing the roles mimicry, synchrony, coordination and shared intentionality play in the process. In the end, we provide recommendations for future work to advance our understanding of the effects of rhythmic interaction on prosociality and future practice to improve children's prosocial development.