Walking in sync makes enemies seem less scary

When men match each others’ steps, purported criminals seem less physically formidable, a new study shows. The results, published August 27 in Biology Letters, suggest that matched movements in men may foster fighting alliances, a behavior seen in apes and some dolphins and whales. The team did not test women’s responses to matched movements. 

Because synchronized behaviors — used in everything from athletics to police formation — seem to shape how people think about their enemies, the matched movements may pave the way for violence, the scientists suggest.