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Frontiers in Psychology
Article . 2025 . Peer-reviewed
License: CC BY
Data sources: Crossref
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Frontiers in Psychology
Article . 2025
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Embodied metaphors and interpersonal synchrony in the digital age: the case of remote working

Authors: Giulia Magni; Giulia Magni; Luana Amadini Genovese; Luana Amadini Genovese; Giuseppe Riva; Giuseppe Riva; Claudia Repetto;

Embodied metaphors and interpersonal synchrony in the digital age: the case of remote working

Abstract

This paper explores the impact of technology-mediated (TM) communication on interpersonal synchrony through the integrated lens of social neuroscience, embodied cognition, and Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT). It focuses particularly on the case of remote working, which exemplifies the challenges and adaptations required when social interactions shift from face-to-face (FTF) to digital environments. While FTF communication enables interpersonal synchrony through rich sensorimotor cues, such as gaze, posture, and gesture, TM communication often reduces or distorts these embodied signals. This disconnection undermines critical neurobiological processes like mirror neuron activation and impairs shared intentionality, emotional resonance, and trust. The paper highlights how embodied metaphors, especially CLOSENESS IS INTIMACY, are destabilized in digital contexts, making social engagement more cognitively demanding and less intuitive. Despite these limitations, humans show adaptability, developing compensatory behaviors and recalibrating expectations over time. However, remote working environments often lack the embodied coherence necessary to fully support collaborative creativity and social cohesion. The paper argues for the redesigning of digital platforms with immersive, multisensory interfaces, such as haptic feedback and spatialized audio, that better simulate the embodied dynamics of FTF interactions. It calls for future research employing hyperscanning and ecologically valid methods to understand how synchrony unfolds across digital modalities and how metaphorical coherence might be restored. Ultimately, by reengaging the body as a central substrate for cognition and communication, this work advocates for a more human-centered evolution of remote work technologies that sustains connection, trust, and collective performance.

Keywords

embodied cognition, face-to-face interaction, social neuroscience, Psychology, interpersonal synchrony, technology-mediated communication, conceptual metaphor theory, BF1-990

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
1
Average
Average
Average
gold