Synchronization mechanisms. Shown are four different pairs of sinusoidal modulation functions: (a) unidirectional decelerating coupling, (b) unidirectional accelerating coupling, (c) symmetrical coupling, and (d) asymmetrical coupling. These four different mechanisms, however, generate the same distribution of phase differences (e). [Color figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at wileyonlinelibrary.com.]