Variation of Brain Signals in Children Measured by Real-Time Electroencephalography Across Various Social Scenarios

Abstract

The current study pioneers the exploration of the dynamic modulation of children's brain activities, specifically alpha power, in response to varying degrees of social engagement. Real-time electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring was employed on 97 children to investigate alpha power during two distinct social activities: sand-playing and story-listening, under three conditions: the presence of a parent, a stranger, or being alone. It is hypothesized a decrease in children's alpha power with the presence of others and that this alpha suppression effect would be stronger at higher levels of social engagement. Findings indicated a significant modulation of alpha power in response to social presence during story-listening, evidenced by a decrease in alpha amplitude when a parent or stranger is present compared to being alone. In contrast, during sand-playing activities, no significant differences were observed, suggesting that the social modulation of alpha power is context-dependent and relates to attentional engagement with the social stimulus. These results contribute to the understanding of the neural basis of social cognition in children, demonstrating that social presence and the level of attentional demands significantly influence brain dynamics, as reflected in alpha power modulation.