Inter-brain synchrony in real-world and virtual reality search tasks using EEG hyperscanning
This study investigates inter-brain synchronization during a collaborative visual search task performed in Virtual Reality (VR), and compares it to the same task executed in a real-world environment. Previous research has demonstrated that collaborative visual search in real-world settings leads to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Virtual Reality |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2025.1469105/full |
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| author | Ashkan F. Hayati Amit Barde Ihshan Gumilar Abdul Momin Gun Lee Alex Chatburn Mark Billinghurst Mark Billinghurst |
| author_facet | Ashkan F. Hayati Amit Barde Ihshan Gumilar Abdul Momin Gun Lee Alex Chatburn Mark Billinghurst Mark Billinghurst |
| author_sort | Ashkan F. Hayati |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study investigates inter-brain synchronization during a collaborative visual search task performed in Virtual Reality (VR), and compares it to the same task executed in a real-world environment. Previous research has demonstrated that collaborative visual search in real-world settings leads to measurable neural synchrony, as captured through EEG hyperscanning. However, limited work has explored whether similar neural dynamics occur in immersive VR. In this study, we recorded EEG hyperscanning data from participant pairs engaged in a joint visual search task, conducted in both VR and physical settings. Our results reveal that inter-brain synchronization occurred in the VR condition at levels comparable to the real world. Furthermore, greater neural synchrony was positively correlated with better task performance across both conditions. These findings demonstrate that VR is a viable platform for studying inter-brain dynamics in collaborative tasks, and support its use for future team-based neuroscience research in simulated environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-62b18f3daed64c68b663305e51fe41a3 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2673-4192 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Virtual Reality |
| spelling | doaj-art-62b18f3daed64c68b663305e51fe41a32025-08-20T01:50:00ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Virtual Reality2673-41922025-05-01610.3389/frvir.2025.14691051469105Inter-brain synchrony in real-world and virtual reality search tasks using EEG hyperscanningAshkan F. Hayati0Amit Barde1Ihshan Gumilar2Abdul Momin3Gun Lee4Alex Chatburn5Mark Billinghurst6Mark Billinghurst7The Empathic Computing Laboratory, Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics, The University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, AustraliaThe Empathic Computing Laboratory, Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New ZealandThe Empathic Computing Laboratory, Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New ZealandDepartment of IT Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad, IndiaThe Empathic Computing Laboratory, Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics, The University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, AustraliaCognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, The University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, AustraliaThe Empathic Computing Laboratory, Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics, The University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, AustraliaThe Empathic Computing Laboratory, Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New ZealandThis study investigates inter-brain synchronization during a collaborative visual search task performed in Virtual Reality (VR), and compares it to the same task executed in a real-world environment. Previous research has demonstrated that collaborative visual search in real-world settings leads to measurable neural synchrony, as captured through EEG hyperscanning. However, limited work has explored whether similar neural dynamics occur in immersive VR. In this study, we recorded EEG hyperscanning data from participant pairs engaged in a joint visual search task, conducted in both VR and physical settings. Our results reveal that inter-brain synchronization occurred in the VR condition at levels comparable to the real world. Furthermore, greater neural synchrony was positively correlated with better task performance across both conditions. These findings demonstrate that VR is a viable platform for studying inter-brain dynamics in collaborative tasks, and support its use for future team-based neuroscience research in simulated environments.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2025.1469105/fullhyperscanningbrain synchronizationvirtual realityremote collaborationsocial neurosciencesocial facilitation |
| spellingShingle | Ashkan F. Hayati Amit Barde Ihshan Gumilar Abdul Momin Gun Lee Alex Chatburn Mark Billinghurst Mark Billinghurst Inter-brain synchrony in real-world and virtual reality search tasks using EEG hyperscanning Frontiers in Virtual Reality hyperscanning brain synchronization virtual reality remote collaboration social neuroscience social facilitation |
| title | Inter-brain synchrony in real-world and virtual reality search tasks using EEG hyperscanning |
| title_full | Inter-brain synchrony in real-world and virtual reality search tasks using EEG hyperscanning |
| title_fullStr | Inter-brain synchrony in real-world and virtual reality search tasks using EEG hyperscanning |
| title_full_unstemmed | Inter-brain synchrony in real-world and virtual reality search tasks using EEG hyperscanning |
| title_short | Inter-brain synchrony in real-world and virtual reality search tasks using EEG hyperscanning |
| title_sort | inter brain synchrony in real world and virtual reality search tasks using eeg hyperscanning |
| topic | hyperscanning brain synchronization virtual reality remote collaboration social neuroscience social facilitation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2025.1469105/full |
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