Brain Waves and Teamwork: What Happens When We Work Together Without Words

The way our brains work together when we do things as a team without speaking has been studied using a cool method called EEG-hyperscanning. This method shows that when people work together without talking, their brain waves sync up in different ways. This syncing is influenced by what they are doing, how the experiment is set up, and how the data is analyzed. Researchers have looked at many studies to figure out what kinds of teamwork have been studied so far. They found that most studies focus on cooperative tasks where people do similar or complementary actions at the same time. However, tasks where people compete or take turns are not studied as much. The tasks in these studies involve different types of interactions. Some are based on movement, like dancing or playing sports. Others involve music, like playing instruments together. Some use computers, like playing video games. Movement-based tasks are the most common and are very important for understanding social interactions. Different methods are used to measure how brain waves sync up. Two common methods are graph theory and phase synchrony. These methods help researchers understand how brain activity changes when people work together. The findings from these studies are organized based on the methods used and the types of tasks. This organization helps provide a clear picture of what has been studied so far and what needs more research. By understanding how brain waves sync up during teamwork, researchers can design better studies in the future. This can help improve how we understand and study social interactions. It is important to note that while these studies provide valuable insights, they also highlight the need for more research. Future studies should focus on under-investigated areas, such as competitive and turn-based tasks. This can help provide a more complete understanding of how our brains work together during teamwork.