Human attachments shape interbrain synchrony toward efficient performance of social goals

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Social Psychology
• Evolutionary Anthropology

Background:

• Human brain evolution is linked to complex social structures and cooperation.
• Social attachments facilitate coordinated action towards shared goals.
• Understanding the neural and behavioral mechanisms of social synchrony is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how human attachments influence neural and behavioral synchrony during social tasks.
• To examine the relationship between synchrony, performance efficiency, and resource conservation in social interactions.
• To compare synchrony patterns across different relationship types (couples, friends, strangers) and task types (motor, empathy).

Main Methods:

• Utilized hyperscanning electroencephalography (EEG) to record neural activity from pairs during tasks.
• Collected data from 79 male-female pairs across three relationship groups: couples, best friends, and strangers (N=158).
• Employed ecologically valid naturalistic tasks: motor coordination and empathy giving.

Main Results:

• Neural synchrony, particularly in beta and gamma rhythms within sensorimotor areas, supported motor task performance.
• Couples exhibited the highest neural and behavioral synchrony in the motor task, leading to faster, energy-efficient performance.
• The empathy task involved broader neural synchrony (alpha, beta, gamma) across regions, with couples showing high behavioral synchrony and low neural synchrony for greater perceived support, while strangers showed the opposite.

Conclusions:

• Human attachments create a foundation for neural and behavioral synchrony, crucial for efficient social functioning.
• Familiarity and closeness shape synchrony patterns, optimizing performance for survival-related social goals.
• Interbrain and behavioral synchrony are dynamically regulated by relationship context and task demands for resource-sensitive outcomes.