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© 2025 Juergen A. Riedelsheimer. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Modes of Communication During a Joint-Rhythm Task Modulate Cognitive Control Resources.

 

Juergen A. Riedelsheimer¹, Lawrence P. Behmer Jr.², Amanda C. Hahn³

¹Idaho State University, ²Concordia University, Chicago, ³California Polytechnic Institute Humboldt

 

 

COVID-19 lockdowns posed extraordinary challenges as most schools transitioned to remote learning, yet how online education affects cognitive demands remains unclear. To investigate how different Modes of Communication (MoC) affect cognitive control and stress, we had participants synchronize quarter-note sequences with an adaptive Virtual Partner (VP), a computer program to simulate a human partner by adjusting its response to the participant's performance, in three conditions: face-to-face (synchronous), synchronous online via Zoom or asynchronous via pre-recorded video. 

We recorded EEG to examine theta-band activity, a neural correlate of cognitive control, while we collected pre- and post-task saliva samples to assess cortisol levels as an index of physiological stress. Results showed greater theta activity in the face-to-face group compared to both video-based conditions. From a behavioral perspective, participants in the face-to-face condition demonstrated the most stable synchronization, whereas those in the Zoom condition showed the highest asynchrony, suggesting greater variability in participants' timing. Cortisol analysis revealed a significant reduction in stress levels across all conditions, with the face-to-face group showing the most pronounced decline, indicating that direct social interaction may play a key role in stress regulation during joint rhythmic tasks. These findings suggest that face-to-face interactions engage more cognitive control, but the effect remains modest. Factors such as task complexity or the VP’s adaptive agency might have contributed to the observed EEG and behavioral patterns. 

Although rhythmic synchronization contributes to stress reduction, this effect was consistent across synchronous and asynchronous conditions, suggesting that rhythmic synchronization, rather than MoC, contributed to these differences. Future research should disentangle the mechanisms underlying cognitive control and stress regulation in different MoCs to better understand their role in engagement and stress regulation in educational settings, as these factors influence cognitive resources and, ultimately, learning outcomes. In a world where remote communication is here to stay, the challenge isn’t just connecting—it’s synchronizing. How can we make online interactions feel as natural as face-to-face ones? Understanding the rhythms of communication might be the key.