interaktion

Interaktion is a term used across disciplines to describe a process in which two or more entities influence each other. The core idea is mutual or reciprocal influence: the state, behavior, or properties of one agent affect those of another, and vice versa. This interdependence can occur on many levels, from interpersonal exchanges to physical forces between particles.

The word originates from Latin roots meaning “between action” and has been adopted into many languages, including German, English, and Nordic languages, with related terms such as interaction used in various fields. In everyday language, interaktion often refers to communication and social exchange, but in scholarly contexts it encompasses a broader range of relations and dynamics.

In social sciences, interaktion underpins theories of how people shape each other’s attitudes, norms, and actions during conversations, group activities, and institutional processes. In human–computer interaction and interaction design, it describes the touchpoints and feedback loops between users and technology, guiding the creation of usable interfaces and responsive systems. In biology and chemistry, interaktion covers relationships between organisms, substrates, or molecules, including symbiotic associations, enzymatic activity, and chemical bonding. In physics and ecology, it refers to forces, energy exchanges, and ecological relationships that determine the behavior of systems.

Analytically, interaktion is studied through observations, experiments, models, and qualitative methods. It helps explain coordination, conflict, cooperation, and emergent phenomena that arise from the dynamic interplay of multiple components.