Human interaction is a dynamic process requiring real-time coordination to achieve shared understanding. My research investigates coordination in natural behaviors across diverse contexts, including healthcare communication, stress regulation, and forensic settings. I apply advanced computational techniques like machine learning and multimodal data analysis to uncover patterns of interaction—spanning language, physiology, and behavior—that drive understanding and action. In this talk, I will illustrate how linguistic alignment—how people "re-use" each other's lexical, syntactic, and semantic language structures—provides a window into the mechanisms that enable shared meaning in communication. Using computational methods, I examine how alignment evolves over time and relates to collaborative outcomes, as demonstrated in a problem-solving paradigm requiring creativity and adaptability. This study, along with my broader research, illuminates the principles of human interaction and advances an interdisciplinary approach bridging foundational and applied science to address real-world challenges.

Bio:

Nicholas Duran (PhD in Cognitive Psychology) is an associate professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University. He is interested in the dynamic interplay between cognition, language, and action while individuals and groups engage in complex real-world tasks. He applies insights gleaned from this basic research program to build new computational tools and methods to help people become better communicators and better learners. Duran has published more than 70 journal papers, book chapters, and conference proceedings and his work has been funded by numerous grants. He currently serves as the director of the "Cognition, Behavior, and Information" group at Arizona State and is a founding executive committee member of a multi-interdisciplinary consortium of data scientists. The goals of both initiatives are well-aligned with Duran’s overall research agenda: to work across disciplinary boundaries to produce innovative research and to make data-driven discoveries.