Online HD-tRNS over the right temporoparietal junction modulates social inference but not motor coordination
Bibliographic record
Abstract
Abstract Social interactions are fundamental to human cognition, with the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) playing a key role in integrating motor coordination and social inference. Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) is a promising technique for modulating cortical excitability, yet its effect on dynamic social processes remains unexplored. This study aimed to establish a causal link between rTPJ and real-time social interaction by applying high-definition transcranial random noise stimulation (HD-tRNS) during the Human Dynamic Clamp (HDC) paradigm. Specifically, we investigated whether online HD-tRNS modulates motor coordination and social inference when interacting with an adaptive virtual partner (VP). Eighty right-handed participants were assigned to one of two experiments: (Exp1) a block design with active HD-tRNS and sham blocks or (Exp2) a trial-by-trial design with intermixed active and sham conditions. Participants engaged in an interactive coordination task with a covert VP that could behave cooperatively or competitively. Kinematic data and self-reported measures of perceived cooperativeness and humanness were analyzed. HD-tRNS over the rTPJ did not influence motor coordination or task performance. However, in Exp1, participants receiving active stimulation progressively attributed lower cooperativeness and humanness to the competitive VP, suggesting improved detection of competitive intent. This effect was absent in Exp2, indicating that repeated stimulation was necessary for cumulative neuromodulatory effects. Online HD-tRNS over the rTPJ does not acutely impact motor coordination but progressively modulates social inference, particularly in competitive interactions. The findings highlight the rTPJ’s role in self–other distinction and suggest that repeated short neuromodulation sessions can shape social perception. Significant statement Social interactions rely on distinguishing between cooperative and competitive behaviors, a process involving the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ). Using high-definition transcranial random noise stimulation (HD-tRNS), we tested the rTPJ’s causal role in real-time social inference. While HD-tRNS did not affect motor coordination, repeated stimulation progressively reduced perceived cooperativeness and humanness of a competitive virtual partner, suggesting enhanced sensitivity to competitive intent. Our findings provide insights into social perception mechanisms and suggest HD-tRNS as a potential tool for studying and modulating social cognition, with implications for conditions affecting social inference, such as autism and schizophrenia.
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame machine prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. The Gemma side is a direct model label for every work in the frame, read from the title-only record. The Codex side is a classifier learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and calibrated to design-weighted sample rates; fields without enough sample support carry no Codex call. Candidate is the union of the two sides; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels.
Distilled classifier scores by category (both heads)
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.000 | 0.001 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Open science | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Research integrity | 0.000 | 0.001 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.002 | 0.000 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; a candidate call from one source (direct Gemma or distilled Codex), not a consensus.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".