Scientists have discovered how brain activity changes as two people bond through collaborative art, reports infohub.kz.
Researchers from ETH Zurich conducted an experiment with 61 pairs of volunteers. Some duos consisted of peers aged 18 to 35, while others paired young people with participants over 70. Over six weeks, previously unacquainted partners met regularly to draw together, while researchers monitored their brain synchronization.
The results showed that during joint creative sessions, neural activity became significantly more aligned than during individual work. However, long-term changes were unexpected. In peer pairs, brain synchronization increased each week, whereas in cross-generational duos, it peaked early and then gradually declined, despite growing mutual liking.
The authors, led by Risa Moffat, explained that reduced signal synchrony does not indicate a weakening bond. In mixed-age pairs, partners eventually divided roles and developed complementary behavioral strategies. In such duos, younger participants often adapted to older ones, who gently took the lead.