Themis Efthimiou
@themisefth.bsky.social
480 followers 1.5K following 28 posts
Quantitative Researcher | Psychology PhD | R & Python
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themisefth.bsky.social
📢 New paper out in Behavior Research Methods!

With @cjcrompton.bsky.social we introduce duet, an R package for analysing dyadic motion data from OpenPose.

It simplifies data wrangling, kinematics, & synchrony analysis of social interactions.

Paper: doi.org/10.3758/s134...
duet: An R package for dyadic analysis of motion data generated by OpenPose - Behavior Research Methods
Research into dyadic social interactions has expanded significantly, enabling a deeper understanding of the dynamic processes underlying interpersonal communication. As the use of larger datasets becomes increasingly common in this field, the need for scalable and efficient analytical tools has grown. Automated coding methods, such as those provided by OpenPose, an open-source software for detecting and tracking human motion, offer significant advantages for analysing the movement of two individuals during an interaction. However, the processing and analysis of large quantities of JSON output files generated by OpenPose remain a considerable challenge. To address this, we introduce duet, an R package designed to streamline the processing and analysis of OpenPose output data, particularly in the context of dyadic interactions. The package provides a suite of functions for data cleaning, interpolation, kinematic analysis, and visualisation, offering researchers a comprehensive and user-friendly workflow. By simplifying the handling of OpenPose data, duet aims to facilitate large-scale, automated analysis of dyadic social interactions, with minimal coding experience, thereby advancing methodological capabilities in social and behavioural sciences.
doi.org
themisefth.bsky.social
Finally a huge thanks to my coauthors, Stephanie Lewis, Charlotte Wilks, Lorena Jiménez-Sánchez, Robert Ackerman, @michelleldodd.bsky.social , Sarah Foster, @noahsasson.bsky.social , @suereviews.bsky.social, Daniel Ropar,
@cjcrompton.bsky.social.
themisefth.bsky.social
While autistic people had longer talking turns, this didn't explain the rapport gap. Our findings challenge a purely deficit-based view of autistic communication.
themisefth.bsky.social
The context mattered most. Autistic participants reported the highest rapport when they knew their partner was also autistic, supporting the idea of a distinct autistic social style that thrives between autistic people. #DoubleEmpathyProblem
Reposted by Themis Efthimiou
cjcrompton.bsky.social
This has been a long piece of work – the stage 1 registered report was submitted in 2021!

Its been a team effort with @noahsasson.bsky.social @suereviews.bsky.social @sarah-foster.bsky.social @themisefth.bsky.social @michelleldodd.bsky.social, Martin Lages, Charlotte Wilks + Dani Ropar. #DreamTeam
themisefth.bsky.social
So honoured our work on social motor synchrony and rapport received an INSAR award! While I regret not being there in person tomorrow, the brilliant @sarah-foster.bsky.social will be presenting. Please stop by Poster 442.292 in Hall 4A at 12:30 to chat with her! #INSAR2025
cjcrompton.bsky.social
First up, @themisefth.bsky.social
🌟INSAR AWARD WINNING 🌟poster on social motor synchrony and rapport in autistic, non-autistic and mixed dyads.

Poster 442.292, Hall 4A, Saturday 12.30!
Themis Efthimiou (@themisefth.bsky.social)
Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh.
themisefth.bsky.social
Reposted by Themis Efthimiou
suereviews.bsky.social
V cool finding showing autistic people are not so dependent on synchrony to feel positive about an interaction (without showing less synchrony overall compared with non-autistic pairs)

Also the first ever registered report published in @journalautism.bsky.social !!
themisefth.bsky.social
This registered report was peer-reviewed before data collection, underscoring our commitment to rigorous, transparent research. Excited to see where this insight into social communication takes us! #AutismResearch #SocialPsychology #RegisteredReport
themisefth.bsky.social
What It Means: Non-autistic people may rely more on movement synchrony as a key ingredient for social bonding, whereas autistic individuals might use other cues to build connections.
themisefth.bsky.social
Key Finding #2: However, synchrony has a stronger positive impact on rapport in non-autistic pairs. Non-autistic individuals needed higher synchrony to feel connected, while autistic individuals achieved similar rapport with less synchrony.
themisefth.bsky.social
Key Finding #1: Contrary to past assumptions, dyads with an autistic person did NOT show less synchrony overall compared to non-autistic pairs.
themisefth.bsky.social
Our Aims:
Replicate previous findings on reduced synchrony in dyads with at least one autistic person
Examine how synchrony relates to rapport in autistic, non-autistic, and mixed pairs
Compare reliance on synchrony for building rapport between autistic and non-autistic people.
themisefth.bsky.social
Social Motor Synchrony: It’s that subtle mirroring of body movements during conversations that boosts connection & understanding. But does it play the same role in autistic vs non-autistic interactions?
themisefth.bsky.social
Variable selection can't be that hard, right? Right? 🥹
themisefth.bsky.social
This is the way
hadley.nz
Bluesky really is the new #rstats twitter because we have the first base R vs tidyverse flame war 🤣
Reposted by Themis Efthimiou
fredrikmentzoni.bsky.social
Can wearables really unlock the secrets of your health?

A discussion on heart rate variability (HRV) +++ with @dsquintana.bsky.social, Marco Altini and Henrik B. Jacobsen.

youtu.be/jASGg7PJc2A

🧵1/5
themisefth.bsky.social
Ooh good to know ❤️
themisefth.bsky.social
I’d like to be added! 😁