Anu Tourunen

Anu Tourunen

Academy Research Fellow
Unit
Faculty of Education and Psychology
Department / Division
Department of Psychology
Room number
Mobile
+358504765257
Postal address
Mattilanniemi 6
Fields of science
515 Psychology

Biography

I’m an Academy Research Fellow and Principal Investigator of the project "The Rhythm of Connection: Individual Traits, Relationship, and Situation Shaping Interpersonal Synchrony (IRSync)" (2025–2029, Research Council of Finland). I’m also writing a popular science book on bodily connections (2025–2027), funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation.

My work is driven by a fascination with the interplay between mind, body, and social interaction. My expertise centers on interpersonal synchrony, with a focus on autonomic nervous system activity and psychophysiology - particularly electrodermal activity and cardiac measures. I hold a broad interest in nonverbal attunement and emotional co-regulation. At the heart of my research is a commitment to bridging disciplines and approaches to better understand the nuanced connections between psychological processes, physiological responses, and social interactions in diverse relational contexts.

Research interests

Relationships are vital for well-being and health, with bodily synchrony – where people's reactions align – playing a key role in forming and maintaining social bonds. The IRSync research examines how individuals synchronize nonverbally through autonomic nervous system responses, movements, and facial expressions. It explores how individual traits, relationship types, and situational factors influence synchrony. The study focuses on six relationship types: couples, friends, siblings, parent and adult child pairs, colleagues, and strangers. Participants engage in paired discussions where emotional climate, cognitive alignment, sense of connection, and the level of cooperation vary. Electrodermal activity, heart rate measures, and video recordings of facial expressions and body movements are analyzed to study synchrony. The research deepens our understanding of nonverbal human connection and produces new resources, including open data for synchrony research.

Publications

Publication
2025

EARLI Conference.
Ngwenya, Jobert
Pijeira-Díaz, Héctor J.
Tourunen, Anu
Kykyri, Virpi-Liisa
Publication
2024
Available through Open Access

Ruusupuiston kärkiuutiset.
Tourunen, Anu
Publication
2024
Available through Open Access

Psychotherapy Research.
Kykyri, Virpi-Liisa
Nyman-Salonen, Petra
Tschacher, Wolfgang
Tourunen, Anu
Penttonen, Markku
Seikkula, Jaakko
Publication
2023
Available through Open Access

Psychotherapy Research.
Coutinho, Joana F.
Penttonen, Markku
Tourunen, Anu
Seikkula, Jaakko
Peräkylä, Anssi
Tschacher, Wolfgang
Kykyri, Virpi-Liisa
Publication
2023
Available through Open Access

Jyväskylän yliopiston psykologian laitoksen julkaisuja.
Pohjola, Mikko
Sun, Zhaodong
Vedernikov, Alexander
Nokia, Miriam
Muotka, Joona
Kujala, Miiamaaria
Puutio, Risto
Tourunen, Anu
Li, Xiaobai
Kykyri, Virpi-Liisa
Publication
2022
Available through Open Access

Merrill-Palmer Quarterly : Journal of Developmental Psychology.
Kiuru, Noona
Trög, Anna-Sofia
Pasanen, Marika
Tourunen, Anu
Mikkonen, Jarno
Ahonen, Timo
Penttonen, Markku
Publication
2022
Available through Open Access

Frontiers in Psychology.
Tourunen, Anu
Nyman-Salonen, Petra
Muotka, Joona
Penttonen, Markku
Seikkula, Jaakko
Kykyri, Virpi-Liisa
Publication
2022

Gezinstherapie Wereldwijd.
Nyman-Salonen, Petra
Tourunen, Anu
Kykyri, Virpi-Liisa
Penttonen, Markku
Kaartinen, Jukka
Seikkula, Jaakko
Publication
2021
Available through Open Access

Frontiers in Psychology.
Nyman-Salonen, Petra
Kykyri, Virpi-Liisa
Tschacher, Wolfgang
Muotka, Joona
Tourunen, Anu
Penttonen, Markku
Seikkula, Jaakko
Publication
2021
Available through Open Access

European Journal of Ageing.
Siltanen, Sini
Tourunen, Anu
Saajanaho, Milla
Palmberg, Lotta
Portegijs, Erja
Rantanen, Taina