Interpersonal synchronization as a marker of listening engagement in social situations

Noise is an unavoidable part of daily life—whether from traffic on the streets or loud conversations in social gatherings. For most of us, this background noise is manageable, but for people with hearing loss, it can pose a significant challenge. Filtering out noise to stay engaged requires extra mental effort, and when the effort becomes overwhelming, many begin to disengage from conversations and social activities. Over time, this can lead to social isolation and difficulties maintaining relationships, ultimately impacting the well-being of people with hearing loss.

In this PhD project, we aim to investigate the underlying mechanisms of listening engagement by collecting and analyzing brain (EEG), physiological (e.g., heart rate), and behavioral (e.g., head movement) signals. Specifically, we examine how brain and body signals synchronize between people during different listening and conversational scenarios. Current research suggests that attention and the presence of others influence the degree of synchronization between brain and body signals. Building on these findings, our goal is to establish interpersonal synchrony as a reliable, objective measure of listening engagement in social situations.

We study how signal synchronization changes in listening environments with varying levels of background noise and alter participants' motivation to engage by modifying the social context. Additionally, we investigate how interpersonal synchrony differs during conversations involving individuals with normal hearing and those with hearing loss. By establishing an objective measure of listening engagement and examining its relationship to hearing loss and social context, we aim to better understand the challenges faced by hearing-aid users in social settings. This research holds the potential to improve hearing aids and thereby enhance the well-being of individuals with hearing loss.