Virtual Social Interaction in a Multiplayer-Online Video Game Increases Implicit Learning: An EEG Study

It is well known that social interaction enhances learning processes, improving abilities such as attention and memorization. However, it is not clear whether similar advantages may be obtained even in virtual environments. Here, we investigate whether virtual interactions in a video game, similarly to real-life social interactions, may improve individuals' performance in a subsequent implicit learning task. Twenty-one healthy participants were asked to play a cooperative video game for 20 minutes in three different gaming modalities: alone (Single-Player); together with someone without verbal interactions (Multi-Player -); and with someone with verbal interactions (Multi-Player +). After each gaming session, participants were presented with an EEG paradigm directed to measure mismatch negativity (MMN) responses, a well-validated index of implicit learning. MMN responses were significantly larger following Multi-Player +, as compared with Single-Player, and Multi-Player - conditions. No significant difference was found between Single-Player, and Multi-Player - conditions. These results indicate that implicit learning processes are enhanced following communicative virtual interactions. Verbal interaction in a virtual environment seems necessary to elicit social copresence and its positive effects on learning performances. This finding may have important implications for the design of virtual rehabilitation protocols and distance learning programs.