News: In Sync

What do dance instructors and dictators have in common? They understand the power of unity. When people walk, sing, dance, or shout in pursuit of a common goal, they feel a connection to those doing the same. Physical and ideological proximity are closely linked, research suggests. Once we're in line with others, "we're willing to sacrifice more for them—toward good or evil," observes Scott Wiltermuth of the University of Southern California. Here's what happens when we all sync up.

• We loosen our morals. The Nazi-style goose step epitomizes the devastating potential of human synchrony, notes Wiltermuth. In his study, students were twice as likely to acquiesce to a confederate's unethical suggestion if they had previously worked together to move plastic cups in a synchronized sequence.
• We cooperate. In an earlier study, students who sang "O Canada" in unison before playing an economics game were more likely to make decisions for collective rather than individual gain.
• We attract each other. Spouses who commute to work in the same direction are more satisfied with their marriages, regardless of whether they actually travel together, reports a study by Xun Huang in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. Even newly acquainted duos like each other more when they are told to walk to a task in the same direction.