Team Flow Is a Unique Brain State Associated with Enhanced Information Integration and Interbrain Synchrony

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Team flow, a state of deep group engagement towards a shared goal, offers enhanced experiences compared to individual flow or social interaction.
• The underlying neural mechanisms driving this amplified state of collective engagement remain largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the neural correlates of team flow.
• To investigate the brain mechanisms underlying enhanced group experiences during team flow.

Main Methods:

• Utilized electroencephalogram (EEG) hyperscanning during a music rhythm task to record brain activity in pairs of participants.
• Manipulated task engagement by altering music hedonicity and social feedback to modulate flow and team interaction.
• Employed spectral power analysis and causal interaction analysis to pinpoint brain regions and information flow.

Main Results:

• Identified higher beta-gamma (β-γ) power in the left middle temporal cortex (L-MTC) specifically during team flow.
• Revealed that the L-MTC integrates information from flow- and social-encoding brain areas.
• Demonstrated that team flow increases global interbrain integrated information (II) and neural synchrony.

Conclusions:

• Team flow is associated with a distinct neural signature characterized by L-MTC activity.
• The L-MTC plays a crucial role in integrating information during team flow.
• Team flow enhances neural synchrony and integrated information between interacting individuals, suggesting a neurocognitive basis for this unique shared experience.