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Publication: Dynamic scenario survey method and Shannon information as an indicator of behavioral uncertainty

A recent publication has come out in the journal Entropy where the authors use Shannon information to quantify changes in (reported) affordances and their connection to social psychological scales such as neoliberalism, ethnocentrism, and Islamophobia. Social-political climates in the Western world keep harshening toward immigrants (and Muslim immigrants in particular) and the largest public media corporations continue to contribute to those perspectives. This paper picks up on how these ways of relating to Muslim immigrants affect decisions to include or exclude a fictional family that moves in next door. The authors connect scenario- and survey-based methods with a dynamic narrative that continues the scenario with additional situations. Participants respond after each situation if they change their decision to include and exclude the family. One of the interesting results is that participants who report high adherence to neoliberal, ethnocentric, and Islamophobic statements also have high entropy, meaning that uncertainty is higher in their (reported) affordances. A larger sample size and extended theorizing is needed to more strongly support the claim that this can indicate higher trust in those with low adherence since they will include and not exclude their neighbors.

Link to article: https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/28/5/545

19 May 2026

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Dr. Fredrik Lundström successfully defends his dissertation in Experimental Archeology

Last Friday Fredrik successfully, and well, defended his dissertation “Shaping for the hunt: Harpoon point ecomorphology in Mesolithic Sweden” at Stockholm University. His opponent was Prof. Peter Jordan from Lund University, who asked many well crafted questions, along with a couple of sharp ones on the topic of Ecological Psychology. Fredrik defended his choices to base part of his dissertation on the theory very well. If you’re curious about how Fredrik involves EP/DST in his work then find paper four of the thesis (submitted to journal at the time of writing) in the links below (titled “Remnants of action: Tracing kinematic and kinetic information from weapon use into weapon point making through experimental archaeology”). We now look forward to Fredrik deepening his commitments to EP/DST even further and we are excited to follow the continued, promising research path that he has carved out for himself during his doctoral studies. Congratulations!

Link to dissertation announcement.
Link to dissertation document.

6 March 2026

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Presentation Material for Webinar on CLA in M/MA

Sorry for the wait! We have now uploaded the two presentations that were made during the webinar -unfortunately not the very interesting discussions that arose from them, but please join the next webinar to be a part of the movement towards CLA pedagogy!

Patric’s presentation on some (all too briefly explained) basic terms and concepts from Ecological Psychology and Dynamic Systems Theory: https://videos.trom.tf/w/a81658cc-128a-4355-baf6-5c80941e3eae
Emil’s presentation on how he applies CLA in different contexts: https://videos.trom.tf/w/pABXTk1khsb7azLVvHzEDc

1 December 2025

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Webinar on Constraints-Led Approach in Mixed/Martial Arts

On the 18th of November 18-20:30 (CET, UTC+1) Dr. Patric Nordbeck will delve into some of the connections between CLA and its theoretical roots in ecological dynamics and the two background theories of Ecological Psychology and Dynamic Systems Theory. This will be followed by a talk by Emil Fitoussi about his experiences applying CLA in coaching pedagogy and M/MA practice. Then, we break out into smaller groups to share and discuss our experiences, attempts, ideas, questions, failures, interests, and whatever else connected to how to practically apply CLA in coaching and pedagogy. Finally, we’ll come together and share some of the discussion points all together. Take this opportunity to connect with other coaches, practitioners, and academics interested in CLA and its application! To register and get access to Zoom-link please email patric.nordbeck@psy.lu.se.

19 October 2025

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Top mark for Master’s Thesis on communication dynamics in teams

Master’s student Michelle Schelin successfully defended and handed in her thesis on the topic of communication dynamics in newly formed teams (based in Wheelan’s pioneering work). The thesis centers on different types of communication that teams exhibit early and late in their collaborative processes and how these relate to performance. The potential non-linear and (recurrent) temporal dynamics of communication types were quantified through Recurrence Quantification Analysis (and chromatic RQA), bearing on the predictions from Wheelan’s theoretical starting points. Michelle received well-deserved top marks for her thesis and we are looking forward to her future research and work in the field.

A note also to Michelle’s examiners Dr.s Petri Kajonius and Magnus Lindén who provided excellent support, feedback, and criticisms of her work and defense.

19 September 2025

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Defenses Master's thesis

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Three presenters at the Team and Multiagent Dynamics Workshop in University of Montpellier (July ’25)

Three presenters from LUNDSTEP presented their work on communication dynamics in the context of medical student training (van Klaveren) and to newly formed teams in an escape room board game (Schelin, Nordbeck) at University of Montpellier this summer. Find the abstracts below. (Link to workshop.)

RQA of Dynamic Team Learning Behaviors and Their Relation to Performance
Michelle Schelin∗ , Lisa-Maria Van Klaveren , and Patric C. Nordbeck∗
In complex work environments teams must continuously learn and adapt to perform effectively. While theoretical advancements conceptualize teams as complex, adaptive systems shaped by non-linear interactions and emergent processes, empirical team learning research continues to rely on static methodologies that do not capture these dynamics (Mulder, 2022). To address this gap we apply Recurrence Quantification Analysis (RQA) and chromatic (cRQA) to explore the temporal dynamics of team learning behaviors: knowledge sharing, co-construction, constructive conflict and procedural coordination (Decuyper et al., 2010). Using transcribed conversational data from teams completing escape room simulations in a controlled laboratory experiment, this study explores (1) intra-team patterns of learning behaviors, (2) inter-team differences, (3) the relationship between behavioral patterns and team performance, and (4) the role of constructive conflict as necessary for higher performance. Key RQA metrics (including recurrence rate, determinism, entropy, and laminarity) will quantify behavioral stability, adaptability, and complexity over time. We expect high-performing teams to exhibit mixed structured-variable recurrence patterns, while lower performing teams display either excessive rigidity or erratic behavioral shifts. Exploring the ability of RQA to quantify team learning behavior patterns for performance prediction, the findings have practical implications for designing organizational training and guidelines to develop adaptive and resilient teams.
Keywords: team learning, dynamic systems, recurrence quantification analysis, team performance

Opening the black box of team-based learning: Exploring dynamics of team conversations in online application sessions
Lisa-Maria Van Klaveren∗, Patric C. Nordbeck , Tobias Boerboom , Rien De Vos, and Linda Roossien
Team-Based Learning (TBL) promotes in-depth discussions and deep learning. To better understand how conversational dynamics emerge from task and team constraints during online TBL-application sessions and their relation to learning outcomes, we conducted an observational study involving twelve TBL-teams. Each team participated in two sessions, completing five different tasks. We collected preparation and outcome scores, and audio- recorded the conversations. Transcripts were coded for team learning behaviors, including sharing, co-construction, and constructive conflict. We applied chromatic recurrence plots and recurrence quantification analysis at team and task levels. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests assessed differences in conversational dynamics, while General Linear Mixed Models examined relationships between preparation, dynamics, and performance. Findings indicate that entropy varied across teams, suggesting that teams exhibited distinct dynamics. Additionally, differences in recurrence rate and entropy across tasks highlight how they shape team learning. Relationships between preparation, conversational dynamics and performances provided mixed results that may hint at the complexity of team learning. These insights contribute to how to intentionally vary task design to enhance team learning in TBL. Understanding how conversational dynamics emerge from task and team constraints can inform evidence-based approaches to stimulate in-depth discussions and deep learning.
Keywords: Conversational dynamics, team learning, constraints, recurrence quantification analysis

22 July 2025

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