Persuader-receiver neural coupling underlies persuasive messaging and predicts persuasion outcome

• Published in: Cerebral Cortex
• Main Authors: Li, Yangzhuo, Luo, Xiaoxiao, Wang, Keying, Li, Xianchun
• Other Authors: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Key Specialist Projects of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning, Programs Foundation of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press (OUP) 2023
• Subjects: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience; Cognitive Neuroscience; Arctic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhad003; https://academic.oup.com/cercor/article-pdf/33/11/6818/50433852/bhad003.pdf

Abstract Opportunities to persuade and be persuaded are ubiquitous. What interpersonal neural pathway in real-world settings determining successful information propagation in naturalistic two-person persuasion scenarios? Hereby, we extended prior research on a naturalistic dyadic persuasion paradigm (NDP) using dual-fNIRS protocol simultaneously measured the neural activity from persuader-receiver dyads while they engaged in a modified “Arctic Survival Task.” Investigating whether neural coupling between persuaders and receivers underpinning of persuading and predict persuasion outcomes (i.e., receiver’s compliance). Broadly, we indicated that the persuasive arguments increase neural coupling significantly compared to non-persuasive arguments in the left superior temporal gyrus-superior frontal gyrus and superior frontal gyrus-inferior frontal gyrus. G-causality indices further revealed the coupling directionality of information flows between the persuader and receiver. Critically, the neural coupling could be a better predictor of persuasion outcomes relative to traditional self-report measures. Eventually, temporal dynamics neural coupling incorporating video recording revealed neural coupling marked the micro-level processes in response to persuading messages and possibly reflecting the time that persuasion might occurs. The initial case of the arguments with targeted views is valuable as the first step in encouraging the receiver’s compliance. Our investigation represented an innovative interpersonal approach toward comprehending the neuroscience and psychology underlying complex and true persuasion.