Circling Science

Brain-to-Brain Synchrony Tracks Real-World Dynamic Group Interactions in the Classroom

Suzanne Dikker, Lu Wan, Ido Davidesco, Lisa Kaggen, Matthias Oostrik, James McClintock, Jess Rowland, Georgios Michalareas, Jay J. Van Bavel, Mingzhou Ding and David Poeppel · 2017

Evidence
Observational study
Kind
Journal article
peer-reviewed
Method
Portable EEG recorded from a whole class at once during ordinary lessons over a semester
Sample
12 high-school students across 11 classes
Published
Current Biology, 27(9), 1375–1380
Fields
Synchrony
Cautions
Small sample

Mechanisms

Studies a process a circle relies on, such as disclosure or synchrony, wherever it happens.

Portable EEG recorded a class of 12 students through a semester: the more their brain activity was in sync, the more engaged the class was, and synchrony also tracked the group’s social dynamics.

What it doesn’t show

One class of 12, recorded during lessons rather than personal conversation. The authors think shared attention probably drives the synchrony, and the study does not show that synchrony causes engagement or closeness.

Summary based on the abstract.

Directions that build on it

  1. Brains in a circle

    Builds on 7 works · 4 funding routes

    Does brain activity fall into step across a circle in the moments participants feel met, beyond what shared speech and attention explain?

Links

Cite

Dikker, S., Wan, L., Davidesco, I., Kaggen, L., Oostrik, M., McClintock, J., Rowland, J., Michalareas, G., Van Bavel, J. J., Ding, M., & Poeppel, D. (2017). Brain-to-Brain Synchrony Tracks Real-World Dynamic Group Interactions in the Classroom. Current Biology, 27(9), 1375–1380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.04.002