Joint Action: Neurocognitive Mechanisms Supporting Human Interaction

TLDR

Humans excel at cooperating to accomplish tasks beyond individual capacity, and recent joint action studies reveal that people rely on the same neurocognitive mechanisms used in solo actions—predicting co‑actors’ consequences via internal simulation—while context‑sensitive action monitoring and selection, though underrated, are crucial components. The paper aims to correct a simplified view of joint action by reviewing recent studies on simulation, monitoring, and selection, emphasizing their intricate interrelationships. The authors complement their review by defining a neurologically plausible computational framework for joint action.

Abstract

Humans are experts in cooperating with each other when trying to accomplish tasks they cannot achieve alone. Recent studies of joint action have shown that when performing tasks together people strongly rely on the neurocognitive mechanisms that they also use when performing actions individually, that is, they predict the consequences of their co-actor's behavior through internal action simulation. Context-sensitive action monitoring and action selection processes, however, are relatively underrated but crucial ingredients of joint action. In the present paper, we try to correct the somewhat simplified view on joint action by reviewing recent studies of joint action simulation, monitoring, and selection while emphasizing the intricate interrelationships between these processes. We complement our review by defining the contours of a neurologically plausible computational framework of joint action.