Gender difference in spontaneous deception: A hyperscanning study using functional near-infrared spectroscopy

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Social Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• Previous deception research focused on passive paradigms and intra-brain mechanisms.
• Limited understanding exists regarding the neural basis of spontaneous deception in real social interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neural substrates of spontaneous deception in face-to-face interactions.
• To examine inter-brain activity patterns during deceptive versus honest acts using hyperscanning.

Main Methods:

• Employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning to simultaneously measure brain activity in pairs of participants.
• Utilized a two-person gambling card-game paradigm to elicit deceptive and honest behaviors.
• Analyzed fronto-temporal activations and inter-brain correlations.

Main Results:

• Temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) activation was significantly higher during deceptive acts compared to honest acts.
• Superior temporal sulcus (STS) exhibited unique involvement in deception, particularly in females, not in honesty.
• Inter-brain correlation analysis revealed distinct neural patterns associated with spontaneous deception.

Conclusions:

• The temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) plays a key role in deceptive actions.
• The superior temporal sulcus (STS) is critically involved in spontaneous deception, likely due to mentalizing demands.
• This study pioneers the investigation of inter-brain correlates of deception in naturalistic social settings.