Scientists from Western Sydney University have discovered that when people work together, their brain activity “synchronises”. It only takes a few hundred milliseconds for this effect to occur. The research results were published in the journal PLOS Biology.
Teamwork involves shared rules and shared thinking, and new research shows that these processes are reflected in brain activity in just a fraction of a second. To separate the effects of the task from the effects of social interaction, the researchers divided participants into 24 pairs. They were asked to work together to develop rules for arranging shapes according to different visual attributes, then work one at a time to complete the same task. At the same time, brain activity is recorded using EEG (electroencephalography).
During the first 45 to 180 milliseconds after the image appeared, all participants showed similar brain responses – a natural reaction when performing the same task. However, after 200 ms, a key difference emerged: brain activity only began to synchronize in real pairs, while such synchronization was not observed in randomly formed pseudo pairs. As the task is completed, the level of synchronization increases, indicating consolidation of common norms and increased interaction within the group.
Comparison with pseudo-pairs confirmed that the synchronization effect cannot be explained solely by following similar rules. Participants who did not know each other and just randomly selected similar classification criteria showed significantly lower levels of consistency in brain activity than partners who actually discussed strategies together.
According to the authors studyThis indicates that it is social interaction that shapes neural representations and increases the bond between two people at the physiological level. This approach helps to better understand the mechanics of teamwork, collective decision making and communication.
Scientists from the American non-profit medical research organization Scripps Research, after another study, said humans also have hidden sixth sense – intervention. Researchers explain that this process is triggered when the brain determines when and how a person should breathe, senses changes in blood pressure, or sends signals to secrete special cells to fight infection.
