Neural synchrony in mother-child conversation: Exploring the role of conversation patterns
- Author(s)
- Trinh Nguyen, Hanna Schleihauf, Ezgi Kayhan, Daniel Matthes, Pascal Vrticka, Stefanie Hoehl
- Abstract
Conversations are an essential form of communication in daily family life. Specific patterns of caregiver-child conversations have been linked to children’s socio-cognitive development and child relationship quality beyond the immediate family environment. Recently, interpersonal neural synchronization has been proposed as a neural mechanism supporting conversation. Here, we present a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning study looking at the temporal dynamics of neural synchrony during mother-child conversation. Preschoolers (20 boys and 20 girls, M age 5, 07 years) and their mothers (M age 36.37 years) were tested simultaneously with fNIRS hyperscanning while engaging in a free verbal conversation lasting for four minutes. Neural synchrony (using wavelet transform coherence analysis) was assessed over time. Furthermore, each conversational turn was coded for conversation patterns comprising turn-taking, relevance, contingency, and intrusiveness. Results from linear mixed-effects modeling revealed that turn-taking, but not relevance, contingency, or intrusiveness predicted neural synchronization during the conversation over time. Results are discussed to point out possible variables affecting parent-child conversation quality and the potential functional role of interpersonal neural synchronization for parent-child conversation.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology
- External organisation(s)
- Universität Potsdam, Max-Planck-Institut für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften, University of Essex, University of California, Berkeley, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center
- Journal
- Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
- Volume
- 16
- Pages
- 93-102
- No. of pages
- 10
- ISSN
- 1749-5016
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsaa079
- Publication date
- 06-2020
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 501014 Neuropsychology, 501005 Developmental psychology
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/f4d18991-7b4f-4427-92ca-4a865e451d24