Does sensorimotor communication stabilize commitment in joint action? Comment on “The body talks : sensorimotor communication and its brain and kinematic signatures” by G. Pezzulo et al.

Pezzulo and colleagues (2018) present a comprehensive overview of empirical research on sensorimotor communication (SMC), and develop a systematic theoretical framework to provide structure and direction to that research. At the core of this theoretical framework is a working definition of SMC as ‘a signal that has a dual nature, and which combines a pragmatic action (e.g., offering the glass) and a communicative action (e.g., express politeness).’ This is a broad definition; most research on SMC to date (e.g. Sacheli et al., 2013; Vesper & Richardson, 2014; Pezzulo & Dindo, 2011) has focused on a narrower range of cases than that picked out by this definition.