Eye-gaze, inter-brain synchrony, and collaborative VR in conjunction with online counselling: A pilot study

Eye-gaze plays an essential role in interpersonal communication. Its role in face-to-face interactions and those in virtual environments (VE) has been extensively explored. However, the neural correlates of eye-gaze in inter-personal communication have not been explored exhaustively. The research detailed in this paper is an attempt to explore the neural correlates of eye gaze among two interacting individuals in a VE. The choice of using a VE has been motivated by the increasing frequency with which we use a desktop or Head Mounted Display (HMD) based VEs to interact with each other. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the pace at which these technologies are being adopted for the purpose of remote collaboration. The pilot study described in this paper is an attempt to explore the effects of eye gaze on face-to-face interaction in a VE using the hyperscanning technique. This technique is used to measure neural activity and determine empirically whether the participants being measured display neural synchrony. Our results demonstrated that eye gaze directions appear to play a significant role in determining whether interacting individuals exhibit inter-brain synchrony. Results from this study can significantly benefit and contribute to positive outcomes for individuals with mental health disorders. We believe the techniques described here can be used to extend a high-quality mental health care to individuals irrespective of their geographical location.