Brain-to-brain coupling: a mechanism for creating and sharing a social world

It is argued that in many cases the neural processes in one brain are coupled to the neural Processes in another brain via the transmission of a signal through the environment, leading to complex joint behaviors that could not have emerged in isolation.

Abstract

Cognition materializes in an interpersonal space. The emergence of complex behaviors requires the coordination of actions among individuals according to a shared set of rules. Despite the central role of other individuals in shaping one's mind, most cognitive studies focus on processes that occur within a single individual. We call for a shift from a single-brain to a multi-brain frame of reference. We argue that in many cases the neural processes in one brain are coupled to the neural processes in another brain via the transmission of a signal through the environment. Brain-to-brain coupling constrains and shapes the actions of each individual in a social network, leading to complex joint behaviors that could not have emerged in isolation.