Unveiling the Neural Signature of Group Cohesion in Music Co-Audition

Music serves as a universal medium for social bonding and emotional synchronization, yet the neural mechanisms underpinning these collective experiences remain elusive. This study examines how spatio-temporal music co-audition influences emotional convergence, social cohesion, and neural synchronization in group settings. Participants listened to music in groups while electroencephalography (EEG) data and continuous emotional ratings were collected, along with measures of social closeness. We found that spatio-temporal music co-audition significantly enhanced emotional convergence and reduced perceived social distance. Neural analysis identified an EEG signature localized to the right prefrontal region, where intersubject neural synchronization was stronger in within-group dyads than between-group dyads. Behavioral alignment correlated with this neural synchronization with a hierarchical relationship: fundamental emotional convergence provided the baseline for neural alignment, while interactions between aesthetic emotions and social closeness multiplicatively modulated synchronization. This neural signature emerged progressively during co-audition. These findings provide a neurobehavioral framework for understanding how shared musical experiences promote emotional and social alignment, driving interbrain synchrony. By delineating the neural dynamics of spatio-temporal music co-audition, this study offers theoretical insights into the neural basis of shared musical experiences, and practical insights for implications for music therapy, education, and performance that maximize emotional connection and social cohesion.