Respiration and individual differences shape behavioral and inter-brain synchronization
Humans coordinate their actions while their bodies and brains synchronize in social interactions, yet how behavioral, physiological, and neural dynamics interact during interpersonal coordination remains largely unknown. We investigated how respiration and individual differences influence behavioral and inter-brain synchrony in a musical synchronization task, which requires precise temporal…
Human social interactions involve intricate coordination between bodies and brains, yet the interplay between behavioral, physiological, and neural dynamics remains unclear. To explore this, researchers examined the impact of respiration and individual differences on behavioral and inter-brain synchrony during a musical task that required precise temporal alignment.
Eighty-eight participants first generated a familiar melody at their most comfortable rate to determine their spontaneous production rate (SPR). They then synchronized the melody with a randomly assigned partner under natural, instructed in-phase, and instructed anti-phase breathing conditions while wearing 64-channel electroencephalography (EEG) caps, monitoring respiration, auditory-motor timing, and perceived social connectedness.
Compared to natural respiration, both in-phase and anti-phase breathing enhanced inter-brain phase-locking and perceived social closeness but diminished behavioral synchrony. Instructors synchronized respiratory phases with partners, and this respiratory phase relationship mirrored in their inter-brain relative phase. The timing of respiratory cycles, whether inhalation or exhalation, also influenced coordination: inhalation led to stronger inter-brain synchronization but less precise and stable behavioral coordination than exhalation.
Additionally, individual differences played a role in coordination: those with faster SPRs consistently led slower partners and displayed an alpha-band inter-brain phase advance during synchronization, while those with similar SPRs demonstrated greater behavioral synchrony and smaller inter-brain phase differences. These findings reveal respiration as a previously underappreciated factor influencing behavioral and neural synchronization, while individual intrinsic rhythms limit how interacting partners align in time.
Overall, the study demonstrates a dynamic interplay between bodily and brain rhythms during human social interactions.
Written by urgent.news from bioRxiv's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
