Electroencephalographic Functional Connectivity, Heartrate Synchrony, and Eye Movements Reveal Distinct Components...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Media Studies

Background:

• Storytelling is a universal human behavior and a primary mode of cultural information exchange.
• Consumption of narrative audiovisual media is a prevalent global recreational activity.
• Neurocognitive mechanisms underlying attention capture and maintenance by narrative media remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neurocognitive mechanisms of narrative engagement.
• To examine the relationship between physiological synchrony (heart rate, gaze) and neural activity (EEG) with self-reported narrative engagement.
• To explore the distinct roles of narrative understanding versus other engagement dimensions.

Main Methods:

• 40 participants viewed short television clips across genres.
• Simultaneous recording of electroencephalography (EEG), eye tracking, and heart rate.
• Collection of self-report data on immersion, attentional focus, emotional engagement, narrative presence, and narrative understanding.

Main Results:

• Self-reported immersion, emotional engagement, and narrative presence correlated with heart rate and gaze synchrony.
• These engagement components showed distinct patterns of EEG power and connectivity.
• Narrative understanding was not associated with physiological synchrony.
• Structural equation modeling indicated opposing relationships between alpha-band connectivity and narrative presence (positive) versus narrative understanding (negative).

Conclusions:

• Narrative engagement appears to involve distinct neurocognitive processes, potentially supporting a bifurcated model.
• Narrative understanding may rely on different neural mechanisms compared to immersion, presence, and emotional engagement.
• Findings challenge a unified view of narrative engagement and highlight the role of comprehension.