The research team of Associate Professor Mohammad Shehata of Toyohashi University of Technology, in collaboration with California Institute of Technology and Tohoku University, has been working with the brain waves and areas related to team flow (a state in which multiple people collaborate to enter a "zone"). It was discovered for the first time in the world by comparing it with brain activity in various states.
A team flow is a condition that team members experience when they collaborate to accomplish a task.In business, sports, music, etc., it sometimes exceeds the usual limits and demonstrates high performance in harmony.However, the neural basis of the team flow state was unknown.
This time, the research team simultaneously measured the brain waves of experimental participants playing music video games in pairs.In the experiment, in order to control the flow state, in addition to the normal play environment, it is possible to have a solo flow state (a state where an individual has entered the "zone") by hiding each other's faces during play, but as a team I made the flow impossible, or edited the music to make it a random tone row, making the flow impossible but teamwork possible.The level of flow status was evaluated by asking questions after each game.
After the experiment, compare the brain activities of game players in various states (solo flow, teamwork, team flow).As a result, it was found that the beta wave and gamma wave increased in the middle temporal cortex in the team flow state, and that the brain activity of the teammate was more strongly synchronized than in the normal teamwork state.
The results of this research can be used to form effective teams based on cranial nerve models in various fields where human performance and joy are important.It may also improve quality of life, such as reducing the incidence of depression, panic disorder, and anxiety.
Paper information:[ENeuro] Team flow is a unique brain state associated with enhanced information integration and inter-brain synchrony
