The Interpersonal Neuroscience of Social Learning

Abstract

The study of the brain mechanisms underpinning social behavior is currently undergoing a paradigm shift, moving its focus from single individuals to the real-time interaction among groups of individuals. Although this development opens unprecedented opportunities to study how interpersonal brain activity shapes behaviors through learning, there have been few direct connections to the rich field of learning science. Our article examines how the rapidly developing field of interpersonal neuroscience is (and could be) contributing to our understanding of social learning. To this end, we first review recent research extracting indices of brain-to-brain coupling (BtBC) in the context of social behaviors and, in particular, social learning. We then discuss how studying communicative behaviors during learning can aid the interpretation of BtBC and how studying BtBC can inform our understanding of such behaviors. We then discuss how BtBC and communicative behaviors collectively can predict learning outcomes, and we suggest several causative and mechanistic models. Finally, we highlight key methodological and interpretational challenges as well as exciting opportunities for integrating research in interpersonal neuroscience with social learning, and we propose a multiperson framework for understanding how interpersonal transmission of information between individual brains shapes social learning.

The Bidirectional Social-Cognitive Mechanisms of the Social-Attention Symptoms of Autism

“…Across typical development social attention and especially joint attention needs to be rapidly, consistently and frequently engaged in order to stay with the dynamic shifts of points of common reference and to maintain adaptive social attention coordination in group social interactions with peers, adults or in the classroom ( 41 , 48 , 185 ). The developmental increase in efficiency of execution of joint attention is illustrated by studies that indicate that the latency to respond to gaze shifts or joint attention bids decreases from about 3.25 s at 2-months, to about 1.5 s at 8-months ( 18 ), to about 0.80 s at 18-months ( 186 ), and finally to 0.67 s in adolescence ( 187 ).…”

“…The “social brain” hypothesis makes a similar but phylogenetic argument whereby social attention and the bi-directional exchange of information with other people has been fundamental to human evolution, which was supported by the development of specific functional social attention and social cognitive brain networks [e.g., see ( 48 , 80 , 290 – 292 ) for review]. Evidence that supports this hypothesis includes but is not limited to observations of the specific neurons in primates and humans that are uniquely responsive to social information ( 293 , 294 ), the specific behavioral characteristics and cortical mechanisms of reflexive spatial orienting to social stimuli vs. non-social stimuli ( 78 , 172 ), and the observation that human social attention is associated with substantial heritability estimates ( 262 , 264 , 295 ).…”

“…In this regard this review will adopt an interpersonal perspective on social-cognitive neuroscience that suggests that the nature of social attention and social interaction are such that the neurocognitive mechanisms involved in their development may build on domain general mechanisms. However, the bidirectional and interpersonal nature of their domain of application (i.e., social communication interaction) leads to the development of domain specific neurocognitive processes in early development that guide social behaviors and social learning across the lifespan [e.g., ( 20 , 48 – 51 )]. This perspective recognizes the value of research employing tasks that measure the frequency, location, and accuracy of attention allocation to analog social targets, However, it maintains that the science of social attention development must also be informed by in vivo social interaction measurement that includes measures of how rapidly and efficiently social attention can be engaged in the dynamic and complex process of interacting in social pairs and groups.…”

Interpersonal synchronization of spontaneously generated body movements

“… 22 , 23 , 24 For example, while playing music, musicians exhibit ancillary movements (e.g., body sway and head nodding) that are not strictly essential for the musical output but might help co-performers to synchronize 25 , 26 , 27 or a student to learn new musical material. 24 , 28 Similarly, addressees in a conversation spontaneously produce long eye blinks that can be read as a signal regulating turn-taking behavior. 23 , 29 Notably, as compared to instructed movements, spontaneously produced movements rely on distinct cognitive and neurobiological resources 22 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 and therefore their interpersonal synchronization should not be taken for granted.…”

Construction of Digital Entrepreneurship with Design Sprint and Social Learning Methods

“…Selain menggunakan metode design sprint, sebagaiman dijelaskan diawal kami juga melakukan pendekatan melalui social learning yang bertujuan untuk membangun kepercayaan diri mahasiswa serta belajar langsung dari orang lain yang telah mengalami proses design sprint serta telah mencapai keberhasilan untuk membangun kewirausahaan digitalnya. Pembelajaran sosial, yang didefinisikan sebagai proses di mana individu belajar dari orang lain, bukan melalui langsung, pengalaman individu saja, sangat penting untuk kelangsungan hidup di banyak spesies dan memainkan peran penting dalam evolusi budaya manusia, (Pan et al, 2022). Sistem pembelajaran mengandung sejumlah besar pengetahuan yang sangat penting bagi siswa.…”