The links between physical activity and prosocial behavior: an fNIRS hyperscanning study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Social Psychology
• Behavioral Economics

Background:

• Physically inactive lifestyles are prevalent and may negatively impact brain health, particularly the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC).
• The LPFC is vital for human prosocial behavior, influencing social interactions and decision-making.
• Understanding the neural underpinnings of how physical activity affects prosociality is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between physical activity levels and prosocial behavior.
• To explore potential neural markers, including intra-brain functional connectivity and inter-brain synchrony in the LPFC, associated with physical activity and prosociality.
• To examine these associations in both face-to-face and face stimulus conditions.

Main Methods:

• Forty participants were paired with strangers and completed face-to-face and face stimulus conditions.
• Participants engaged in economic games with partners or onscreen personas after each condition.
• Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning recorded neural activity in the LPFC; sparse multiset canonical correlation analysis was employed.

Main Results:

• A physically inactive lifestyle correlated with poorer reciprocity, greater trust, and faster decision-making times.
• Sedentary behavior was associated with weaker intra-brain connectivity in the dorsal LPFC and poorer inter-brain synchrony in the ventral LPFC.
• These associations were significant only in the face-to-face interaction condition.

Conclusions:

• Physically inactive lifestyles may negatively affect prosocial behavior.
• Altered intra-brain connectivity and inter-brain synchrony in the LPFC appear to mediate the impact of inactivity on prosocial decision-making.
• Sedentary behavior might impair adaptable social responses, particularly in direct social contexts.