A group of researchers on the College of Konstanz is on a mission to uncover the secrets and techniques of how our brains work collectively after we collaborate. This charming research poses an intriguing problem for the sector of cognitive neuroscience.
Led by a doctoral candidate named Karl-Philipp Flösch, the researchers, based mostly on the Centre for the Superior Research of Collective Behaviour, just lately printed their groundbreaking discoveries within the journal Psychophysiology. To check cooperative conduct in a managed surroundings, they cleverly selected the long-lasting online game Pacman, which has captured the hearts of players worldwide for many years.
However this wasn’t simply any bizarre recreation of Pacman. On this modified model, two gamers join by way of screens and should work collectively to information Pacman to the aim. Nevertheless, right here comes the twist: just one participant can see the trail forward, whereas the opposite participant should depend on particular symbols proven on the display to speak. Cooperation turns into the important thing to success as gamers seamlessly collaborate to navigate the hidden maze.
Throughout these gameplay periods, the researchers used a particular approach referred to as EEG to measure the gamers’ mind exercise. EEG, quick for electroencephalography, permits scientists to seize the mind’s responses with unbelievable precision, right down to the millisecond.
The scientists targeted on analyzing a particular mind response referred to as the P3 element, which is thought to turn into stronger after we encounter vital and related data. They hypothesized that the gamers’ roles within the recreation would considerably affect their mind reactions.
Their findings confirmed their speculation and make clear the essential function that totally different roles play in cooperation. The researchers found that the P3 element elevated not solely when the image indicated the subsequent transfer’s course but in addition when gamers noticed whether or not their teammate chosen the proper image.
“Because of this the function we tackle throughout cooperation vastly impacts our mind’s response,” explains Flösch. “It is fascinating to see how our brains are wired to work collectively.”