Language in the Dyad. Linking linguistic and neural alignment.

Current research in linguistics, psychology, and neuroscience predominantly focuses on the individual, neglecting the dynamic interplay between interlocutors as the primary form of communication.

This project aims to address this limitation by investigating language and the brain in their most functional context, the dyad.

The objective is to connect the cognitive mechanisms of dialogue with the neurophysiology of interacting brains.The central theme of this project is the concept of alignment, since it is observed in both behaviour and brain activity. Linguistic alignment concerns the convergence of language use between interlocutors.

Neural alignment refers to correlated brain activity between speakers and listeners. While tempting to assume both phenomena are related, at present this is an open question.

This project sets out to investigate whether neural alignment is the brain's signature of linguistic alignment, and whether prediction is the mechanism that can link neural and linguistic alignment.To achieve these objectives, the project employs a novel paradigm combining EEG hyper-scanning with interactive dyadic language games.

Preliminary results highlight the feasibility of this novel paradigm to assess interactive naming behaviour.

Using this approach, three work packages will explore (1) neural alignment for basic linguistic components, (2) the impact of prediction on alignment, and (3) the emergence of neural alignment in spontaneous linguistic interactions.

This interdisciplinary proposal has ground-breaking potential: If successful, the project will significantly advance our understanding of language in interaction, shed light on the role of prediction in the dyad, and provide a brain basis for models of dialogue and conversation.

In sum, this comprehensive approach seeks to unravel the intricate connections between neural and linguistic alignment while exploring the role of prediction as a fundamental driver of these phenomena.