[en] The National Center for Atmospheric Research thermosphere general circulation model (TGCM) is utilized to perform a series of controlled experiments aimed at better understanding the interactive coupling between ionospheric plasma densities and thermospheric neutral winds. The experiments are simple and controlled so as to facilitate identification of governing mechanisms. The interaction is accomplished by parameterizing the F layer peak height (h_mF₂) in an empirical ionospheric model in terms of the meridional wind (υ_south) and forcing h_mF₂ and υ_south to remain mutually coupled in a dynamical calculation. Interactive computations are performed where the TGCM is driven by 30-kV and 90-kV cross polar cap potentials and are compared with corresponding reference simulations where h_mF₂ is constrained to a balance height near 280 km with a small (∼20 km) diurnal variation. Mutual coupling between h_mF₂ and υ_south is found to be weak during the daytime when the F layer exhibits a broad vertical structure. At night, when the F₂ layer is more localized, the neutral dynamical structure is dependent on whether h_mF₂ is significantly above or below the altitude (approximately 275-300 km) at which ion drag effectively competes with viscosity in the neutral momentum balance. At Arecibo during both levels of high-latitude forcing, the premidnight elevation (+75 km) of h_mF₂ relative to a nighttime balance height of approximately 290 km is accompanied by an increase (∼50 m s^-1) in the zonal wind above 250 km relative to the noninteractive simulation. A much smaller effect, characterized by an 8-hour periodicity spanning 24 hours, is seen in the meridional wind component