Forewarned Is Forearmed: The single- and dual-brain mechanisms in Detectors from Dyads of Varying Social Distance During Deceptive Outcomes Evaluation

Although the outcomes of such information are crucial, how detectors evaluate gains or losses from close versus distant others remains unclear. This study uses a sender-receiver task and functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy hyperscanning to investigate receivers (e.g. detector) how perceived social distance modulates intra- and inter-brain neural basis during deceptive gain-loss evaluations.

The result showed that detectors were more prone to deception with friend in gain contexts, with these differences mediated by connectivity in risk-assessment (Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex, DLPFC), reward-processing (Orbitofrontal Cortex, OFC), and intention understanding regions (Frontal Pole Area, FPA). Further hyperscanning analyses revealed that friend dyads exhibited higher interpersonal neural synchrony (INS) in these regions compared with stranger dyads.