Greater Parent–Child Brain Synchronisation During Printed Book Versus Screen Reading Using Hyperscanning Electroencephalograph Data

Aim: The differences between parent–child joint attention while reading together from a screen versus from a paper are unknown. The current study aimed to determine if parent–child brains synchronise differently during screen-based versus printed paper-based, in other words, a book reading. Methods: The study was carried out in 2022 in Israel. Cohorts were recruited via posted ads. Cognitive and behavioural measures were assessed using standardised tests. In addition, two reading sessions were administered by the parent, one on the screen and another using a book, while electroencephalograph data captured their brain synchronisation. The difference in brain synchronisation between the conditions was correlated with behavioural measures. Results: Of the 49 parent–child pairs age 3.94 years ± 0.751; 24 females who participated in language-based tasks for this study, electroencephalograph data from 11 dyads showed a higher brain-to-brain synchronisation during printed-based reading compared to screen-based reading was found and associated with the child's verbal and cognitive abilities. Conclusion: Printed-paper reading fosters a higher parent–child neural synchronisation and cognitive engagement compared to screen-based reading.