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Greater Parent-Child Brain Synchronisation During Printed Book Versus Screen Reading Using Hyperscanning
Fauzi Jomaa1, Fatma Ebraheem1, Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus1,2,3,4
1Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion, Haifa, Israel.
Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|February 1, 2025
Summary
Parent-child brain synchronisation is higher during book reading than screen reading. This neural synchrony correlates with a child's cognitive abilities, suggesting print fosters deeper engagement.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Parent-child joint attention is crucial for early development.
- The impact of reading medium (screen vs. print) on neural synchrony is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in parent-child neural synchronisation during screen-based versus print-based reading.
- To correlate brain synchrony with behavioural and cognitive measures.
Main Methods:
- Study conducted in Israel with 49 parent-child pairs (mean age 3.94 years).
- Assessed cognitive and behavioral measures using standardized tests.
- Recorded electroencephalograph (EEG) data during parent-led screen and print reading sessions to measure brain synchronisation.
Main Results:
- 11 dyads' EEG data revealed significantly higher brain-to-brain synchronisation during print reading compared to screen reading.
- This increased synchrony during print reading was associated with the child's verbal and cognitive abilities.
Conclusions:
- Print-based reading promotes greater parent-child neural synchronisation than screen-based reading.
- Enhanced neural synchrony during print reading may contribute to improved cognitive engagement and development.
