Inter-brain Synchrony in the Social World

A Family Resemblance Model

Abstract

Interbrain synchrony (IBS) is a phenomenon that occurs when two or more people interact, and neural activity across their brains synchronize. The variety of scenarios in which IBS is observed suggests that the extent of synchronization, the brain regions involved, and the social contexts in which the interaction occurs are uniquely combined in each instance of IBS. A review of recent literature reveals that IBS has been generally examined based on the particular social contexts in which it is measured, but a conceptual model that cuts across these different contexts is lacking. I believe it is appropriate and necessary to work out a model of IBS that accounts for the subtlety and variability of the various factors related to IBS at the behavioral, neural, and social levels. An effective conceptual model for IBS will allow us to apply and expand our knowledge of the phenomenon to novel situations and provide a deeper understanding of what role IBS plays in human behavior. I propose a family resemblances-based model of IBS in which members of a particular category are held together by overlapping subsets of similarities rather than a single common characteristic that all members of a category share. In this review, I discuss how this model can help clarify the variety of commonly reviewed social constructs in which IBS is observed and conclude by identifying areas for future research that would help deepen our understanding of neural and behavioral synchrony.