Tohoku University Motoaki Sugiura Lab.

In initial communications with someone new, it's possible to perceive one person as approachable while another may not seem so. This sense of approachability is generally attributed to a variety of factors such as individual personality, past experiences, and preferences. However, recent research conducted in collaboration with Dr. Ikeda (lead author) and Professor Nozawa from Toyama University suggests that early impressions in human relationships might also be rooted in the similarity of neural circuits in the brain.

This study examined whether the satisfaction level of a conversation between two people meeting for the first time could be predicted based on previously measured patterns of brain activity. As a research method, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) was used to analyze patterns of functional connectivity within the brain during a resting state, when participants were not engaged in any activity. The analysis revealed that similarities in patterns of brain connectivity are a significant factor in predicting the success of a conversation. This result suggests that in the early stages of forming human relationships, the structural and functional similarities in our brains may play a foundational role in influencing the quality and outcomes of direct interactions. This research deepens our understanding of the neuroscientific mechanisms involved in the formation of interpersonal relationships and provides a new scientific approach to predicting the success of direct communications.　The results of this study have been published in Scientific Reports. (Jeong)