Inter-brain synchronization occurs without physical co-presence during cooperative online gaming

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Social Interaction Research

Background:

• Inter-brain synchronization during social interaction is linked to cooperation and team performance.
• The temporal dynamics and dependence on physical presence for inter-brain synchronization during online collaboration remain understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate inter-brain phase synchronization during a collaborative task performed by physically isolated participants.
• To determine if neural coupling occurs in online, real-time joint coordination without physical co-presence.

Main Methods:

• Electroencephalography (EEG) was used to measure brain activity in 42 participants working in pairs on a cooperative multiplayer game.
• Participants controlled different aspects of a racing car (speed or direction) through button presses, with interaction solely through the game interface.

Main Results:

• Elevated neural coupling in alpha, beta, and gamma frequency bands was observed in collaborating pairs compared to control pairs.
• Higher gamma synchrony correlated with better momentary performance, while higher alpha synchrony correlated with better overall mean performance.
• Inter-brain synchronization occurred despite the lack of physical presence or audio-visual connection, with synchrony decreasing during play but increasing across sessions.

Conclusions:

• Online, real-time joint coordination without physical co-presence can elicit inter-brain phase synchronization of oscillatory activity.
• The developed paradigm allows for continuous observation of changes in inter-brain EEG phase synchrony during interaction.
• Findings support the role of neural synchrony in facilitating collaborative performance in digitally mediated environments.