Distinct neural dynamics in joint versus side-by-side actions: insights from dual EEG

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Social Cognition
• Human Sociality

Background:

• Understanding human sociality requires distinguishing between joint and parallel actions.
• Joint actions involve shared goals, while parallel actions focus on individual goals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neural dynamics of joint versus parallel action preparation.
• To explore how shared goals influence cognitive processes during action.

Main Methods:

• Utilized dual electroencephalography (EEG) to record event-related potentials (ERPs) from 20 dyads.
• Participants performed a joint or parallel object transportation task in a video game.
• Task complexity was matched across conditions, confirmed by equal success rates.

Main Results:

• A significant pattern swap in ERPs was observed during action preparation.
• Early preparation exhibited higher ERP amplitudes in joint actions compared to parallel actions.
• Late preparation showed reduced ERP amplitudes in joint actions, correlating with partner's reaction time variability.

Conclusions:

• Distinct cognitive processes underlie different stages of action preparation in joint tasks.
• Shared goals may incur initial cognitive costs but facilitate later action preparation through enhanced predictability.