In our interpersonal relationships, conflict is inevitable—and a cause for
concern. Although prior literature has examined physiological and
behavioral indicators of interpersonal conflict, research has yet to
identify its neural underpinnings. Measuring dynamic patterns of brain
activity within interpersonal interactions like conflict has become
possible thanks to the advent of “hyperscanning.” By capturing simultaneous
brain activity in real-time (i.e., inter-brain synchrony), hyperscanning
can reveal the extent to which people are engaging cognitive processes
(e.g. mentalizing) similarly. In the current study, we used functional
near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure inter-brain synchrony within
romantic couples engaged in face-to-face conversations characterized by
conflict and affiliation. Inter-brain synchrony was recorded within regions
of the mentalizing network—the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and
temporoparietal junction (TPJ)—and will be compared across conversation
type. With our findings, we aim to establish baseline neural synchrony
measures for different complex interpersonal interactions.