Connecting Brains and Bodies: Applying Physiological Computing to Support Social Interaction

Physiological and affective computing propose methods to improve human–machine interactions by adapting machines to the users ’ states. Recently, social signal processing (SSP) has proposed to apply similar methods to human–human interactions with the hope of better understanding and modeling social interactions. Most of the social signals employed are facial expressions, body movements and speech, but studies using physiological signals remain scarce. In this paper, we motivate the use of physiological signals in the context of social interactions. Specifically, we review studies which have investigated the relationship between various physiological indices and social interactions. We then propose two main directions to apply physiological SSP: using physiological signals of individual users as new social cues displayed in the group and using inter-user physiology to measure properties of the interactions such as conflict and social presence. We conclude that physiological measures have the potential to enhance social interactions and to connect people. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS • The work on physiological computing, affective computing and social signal processing is briefly reviewed. • Physiological indices of social interactions are reviewed in the context of social psychology an