Joint control of visually guided actions involves concordant increases in behavioural and neural coupling

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Social Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Joint actions in the real world typically depend on direct observation and rhythmic cues.
• The mechanisms of joint action coordination remain unclear when these cues are absent.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how individuals coordinate actions with a remote partner.
• To identify neural correlates of successful joint action without direct sensory cues.

Main Methods:

• Pairs of participants performed a joint cursor-guiding task with physical separation.
• Recorded concurrent neural activity (EEG) and eye movements.
• Analyzed behavioral data for coordination and accuracy.
• Quantified interpersonal neural and behavioral coupling.

Main Results:

• Joint action improved accuracy for lower-performing participants.
• Increased behavioral and neural coupling (interpersonal correlations) observed during joint control.
• A neural offset response was identified as a marker and mechanism of interpersonal neural coupling.

Conclusions:

• Joint action coordination can occur effectively even without direct observation or rhythmic cues.
• Interpersonal neural coupling, marked by a neural offset response, is crucial for successful remote joint actions.
• This study provides insights into the cognitive and neural underpinnings of collaboration in mediated environments.