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Interpersonal neural synchrony when predicting others’ actions during a game of rock-paper-scissors
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Interpersonal neural synchrony when predicting others’ actions during a game of rock-paper-scissors

E. Kayhan, T. Nguyen, D. Matthes, M. Langeloh, C. Michel, J. Jiang and S. Hoehl
Scientific reports, Vol.12(1), pp.1-11
07/01/2022
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16956-z
PMCID: PMC9334613
PMID: 35902663
url
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-16956-zView
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Abstract As members of a social species, we spend most of our time interacting with others. In interactions, we tend to mutually align our behavior and brain responses to communicate more effectively. In a semi-computerized version of the Rock-Paper-Scissors game, we investigated whether people show enhanced interpersonal neural synchronization when making explicit predictions about others’ actions. Across four experimental conditions, we measured the dynamic brain activity using the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning method. Results showed that interpersonal neural synchrony was enhanced when participants played the game together as they would do in real life in comparison to when they played the game on their own. We found no evidence of increased neural synchrony when participants made explicit predictions about others’ actions. Hence, neural synchrony may depend on mutual natural interaction rather than an explicit prediction strategy. This study is important, as it examines one of the presumed functions of neural synchronization namely facilitating predictions.

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