Investigating interbrain synchrony under teamwork disruption: an fNIRS hyperscanning study.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Social Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Teams are adaptive systems that respond to environmental changes.
• Interbrain synchrony (IBS), the alignment of neural activity between collaborators, is proposed as a marker of teamwork.
• This study investigates if IBS reflects changes in teamwork dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if interbrain synchrony (IBS) is sensitive to disruptions in teamwork.
• To test the hypothesis that altered teamwork dynamics during disruption would be reflected in IBS.

Main Methods:

• Ninety-eight participants formed 49 dyads and completed a navigation task using fNIRS hyperscanning.
• The experimental group faced an unexpected task difficulty increase, while the control group had no disruption.
• Interbrain synchrony (IBS) was analyzed for its level, slope trajectory, and recurrence patterns.

Main Results:

• Teamwork disruptions significantly altered communication and performance, validating the experimental manipulation.
• Despite successful disruption of teamwork, no significant changes in interbrain synchrony (IBS) were observed across the examined features.
• All tested IBS features showed no significant Time x Group interaction (p > .05).

Conclusions:

• Interbrain synchrony (IBS) may represent a stable collective state rather than a reactive indicator of teamwork.
• The findings challenge the direct interpretation of IBS as a sensitive marker for real-time teamwork adaptation.
• Methodological factors in operationalizing IBS might explain the lack of observed sensitivity to teamwork changes.