Symposium on Hyperscanning and Neurobehavioral Synchronization

Research in the field of social neuroscience is currently moving toward more ecologically valid paradigms and the assessment of interpersonal coupling of brain activity (i.e., brain-to-brain coupling), instead of only monitoring brain responses to social stimuli in one person (i.e., stimulus-to-brain coupling). Patterns of brain-to-brain coupling achieved through rhythms in communicative signals (i.e., speech, motor activity) have been described as emergent phenomena that cannot be reduced to the activations recorded in one brain alone and may provide invaluable information to improve our understanding of interpersonal communication.

At the same time, interpersonal synchrony on the behavioral and physiological level has been at the center of interest of research on infant-caregiver relationships and attachment. Using hyperscanning in child-adult dyads is a promising approach to extent this research into the domain of early cognitive development and social learning.

The aim of this symposium is to bring together researchers using hyperscanning (e.g., dual-EEG, dual-fNIRS) and developmental psychologists working on social interaction and behavioral attunement in early development in order to foster collaboration between these fields of research.