minimum joint action

Both electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional MRI (fMRI) research shows that participants keep their joint task (the overall goal and procedures) active in the mind … even when doing so interferes with their own performance, slows them down, and makes them more prone to error. To prepare their own actions, people need to monitor each other’s actions as they proceed step-by-step. This means that to collaborate, partners must share and maintain joint attention in real time … joint attention doesn’t necessarily mean joint gaze. Rhythm, the most fundamental requirement for minimal joint action, is also the foundation for maximal joint action.