About this session

Thursday, 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

A Developmental Framework of Interpersonal Neural Synchrony

Interpersonal neural synchrony, the temporal alignment of neural activity across individuals, has been associated with successful communication, coordinated interaction, and social connection. A growing body of research suggests that this synchrony can emerge spontaneously in interactions between infants, children, and their caregivers. Yet fundamental questions remain: What developmental conditions enable interpersonal neural synchrony? How does it change across childhood? And what role might it play in children’s social, cognitive, and emotional development?

In this talk, I will present a developmental framework for understanding interpersonal neural synchrony that integrates evidence on functional brain maturation with behavioral, social, and cognitive development. I will argue that early caregiver–infant interactions provide a foundation for synchrony through shared perceptual and behavioral rhythms, including affective touch and vocal turn-taking. Drawing on our research, I will highlight factors that support caregiver–child neural synchrony and consider how their effects may vary across developmental periods and interactional contexts.

I will further propose that developmental constraints in the temporal precision of neural processing may initially limit interpersonal neural synchrony to slower neural rhythms. As children’s neural networks and socio-cognitive capacities mature, synchrony may become more flexible and selective. This developmental perspective raises the possibility that interpersonal neural synchrony supports key developmental processes, including social learning, language acquisition, and attachment formation by facilitating mutual prediction and co-regulation between children and their social partners.

Finally, I will extend this framework beyond caregiver–child relationships to children’s interactions with peers. Our recent work suggests that neural synchrony may be particularly relevant as children form new relationships through shared laughter and interpersonal engagement. Together, these findings position interpersonal neural synchrony as both a potential marker and a possible driver of developmental change, opening new directions for developmental research and intervention.