Texting and the brain: The time-course of social brain activation in face-to-face versus text-based computer-mediated-communication

Through evolution, humans have adapted their interactions to face-to-face communication, supported by a network of neural systems which facilitate the transmission and interpretation of social signals for successful communication. However, emerging methods of mediated communication are rapidly shifting our communication habits. For instance, text messaging has become a dominant mode of communication, surpassing face-to-face interaction in some contexts. This study explored differences in neural activation between face-to-face (FtF) and text-based computer-mediated communication (CMC) during a conversation between two communication partners. Seventeen pairs of participants were recruited and each pair undertook a ten-minute conversation in each communication condition. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy was utilized to measure neural activity in two relevant neural structures involved in social cognition: the ventro-medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC). The results indicated that text-based CMC generated more activity in dmPFC relative to FtF. No overall differences were observed between text-based CMC and FtF conditions in the vmPFC, although a linear trend existed across time showing increasing activation through the conversation in the FtF condition only. The results suggest there are differences in neural activations in key brain regions involved in social cognition and highlight the utility of brain imaging to reveal the way neural systems are engaged in different communication contexts. Understanding these differences in neural activation can provide insight into how the brain processes different communication methods and guide us to build tools that will aid text-based communication to provide more naturalistic experiences.