Difference in Mentalizing Function Between Face-To-Face and Online Communications

Coronavirus disease 2019 triggered the worldwide spread of online communication tools such as Zoom, which are now used for meetings, classes, and interviews. It has been reported that long-term online communication can induce a psychological disorder (so-called Zoom fatigue), suggesting differences between online communication and face-to-face communication. During communication, mentalizing functions are engaged, referring our ability to understand ourselves and others in terms of intentional mental states, such as feelings, desires, and attitudes. Therefore, in the current study, we investigated whether mentalizing function differs between online and face-to-face communications. Magnetoencephalograms were recorded while participants engaged in a question-and-answer dialogue either in face-to-face or online conditions. Amplitudes of spontaneous brain rhythms, alpha-, beta-, and theta-bands were compared in 16 brain regions which have been reported to be involved in mentalizing function. Significant differences were observed only in the theta-band rhythm. Normalized amplitudes in the right temporo-parietal junction and the right anterior temporal lobe were significantly lower, and those in the right posterior rostral frontal cortex were significantly higher in the online condition compared with those in the face-to-face condition. These results suggest that low visual reality (or visual information context) and reduced attention (eye-contact) in online communication modulate mentalizing function.