Impact of External Influence on Interpersonal Communication

The prevalence of changing pictures--televisions, computers, cell phones--and their integration into human social interactions pose the potential to investigate the impact of technological devices on interpersonal communication. To measure the possible effects of such external sensory input, we utilized near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to measure the levels of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin in the brain while subjects communicated in the presence of external technological input. We believe that neural connectivity exists during communication between two people. We hypothesize that flashing images  distract the “listener” and therefore lower neural connectivity. Our analysis is ongoing, requiring at least twenty subjects. We aim correlate presence of external input to altered neurological engagement.