What can hyperscanning be used for?

The use of fNIRS for hyperscanning is versatile and offers a wide range of research applications.

Hyperscanning is particularly valuable for looking into the neural pathways behind communication, cooperation, competition, and other interactive behaviors. By simultaneously monitoring the brain activity of multiple participants, researchers can examine inter-brain connectivity and understand how collective neural dynamics facilitate social behavior.

Some different research applications include:

• Social Cognition and Neuroscience:

  • Investigating how people understand and respond to others' emotions, intentions, and actions.

  • Studying empathy, theory of mind, emotional contagion, and the neural basis of social interactions such as cooperation and communication.

• Educational Research:

  • Exploring teacher-student interactions and how synchronized brain activity can enhance learning.

  • Assessing collaborative problem-solving among students and how collaborative learning impacts brain function and educational outcomes.

• Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology:

  • Examining social deficits in disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia, and depression.

  • Developing interventions to improve social functioning in clinical populations and understanding neural synchrony in these disorders.

• Developmental Psychology:

  • Studying brain development and social behavior in children and adolescents.

  • Understanding how children’s brains develop the ability to understand and predict others’ actions.