Communication modality modulates dynamic switching between neural coupling and decoupling during group creative ideation

While video conferencing is central to modern creative collaboration, its impact on group performance remains inconsistent, suggesting our understanding of the neural mechanisms is limited. We employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy hyperscanning in 51 dyads (102 participants) to investigate the effect of communication modality—face-to-face interaction, video-mediated communication, and text-mediated communication—on dynamic neural mechanisms during a collaborative creative task. The analysis of dynamic inter-brain synchrony revealed three recurring brain states: an 'Inefficient State', a 'Low-Coupling State' for idea generation, and a 'High-Integration State' for information integration. Analysis of collaborative efficiency metrics indicates that the advantage of face-to-face interaction lies in its capacity to maintain a flexible balance between strong neural coupling (High-Integration State) and decoupling (Low-Coupling State). In contrast, the reduced media richness and potential cognitive load of video-mediated communication may disrupt this balance. The increased demands for explicit cognitive alignment may hinder the development of the low-coupling state, resulting in a prolonged reliance on high-integration processing. This suggests a compensatory neural strategy to maintain collaboration despite the medium's constraints. Based on this integration bias, we propose a potential explanation for the inconsistent findings in the literature: the creative performance may depend on the match between the cognitive demands of a task and the specific neural processing style induced by the communication modality. Our results emphasize the importance of neural decoupling in collaboration and propose a new research direction: expanding the focus from the degree of brain coupling to the flexibility with which brains transition between dynamic states to meet creative demands.