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Brain-to-brain synchronization across two persons predicts mutual prosociality
Yi Hu1,2, Yinying Hu2, Xianchun Li2
1Faculty of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
|October 18, 2017
Summary
Synchronizing behaviors with others increases prosociality. This study found that brain-to-brain synchronization in the frontal area mediates this effect, linking shared cognition to increased mutual helpfulness.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Social Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Interpersonal synchrony, or synchronized behaviors, is linked to increased prosociality.
- The neural mechanisms underlying this prosocial effect of synchrony remain largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural mechanisms of interpersonal synchrony's effect on prosociality.
- To explore the role of interbrain synchronization in mediating prosocial behavior.
Main Methods:
- Participant dyads performed either a coordination task or an independence task.
- Brain activations were recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning.
- Behavioral measures of synchronized actions and prosocial inclination were assessed.
Main Results:
- The coordination group exhibited higher behavioral synchrony and subsequent prosocial inclination compared to the independence group.
- Significant interbrain synchronization in the left middle frontal area was observed in the coordination group.
- Interbrain synchronization correlated with shared intentionality and mutual prosocial inclination, mediating the prosocial effect.
Conclusions:
- Interpersonal synchrony enhances prosociality through synchronized brain activity.
- Interbrain synchronization in the frontal cortex is a key neural mechanism linking shared cognition and prosocial behavior.
- This research highlights the importance of brain-to-brain synchrony in facilitating mutual prosociality.