Meet the INTERACT project

Social connections are crucial for our physical and mental well-being. But what happens in our brain and body when we interact socially? What processes are at work during real-life conversations and interactions?

The INTERACT project explores these questions by studying social interactions in a comprehensive and naturalistic way. To better understand the psychological, physiological, and neural processes involved, the project uses a variety of methods—some newly developed—to capture social skills and interactions. These diverse data sources will then be combined to build a more complete picture of how social interactions unfold. The methods include brain scans in individual (fMR) and interactive settings (fNIRS hyperscanning), as well as daily smartphone surveys conducted together with a close social contact person.

INTERACT is made possible by a prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant awarded to Prof. Philipp Kanske and is one of the flagship projects of his research group. The main study’s data collection is now in its final stages, and preparations are already underway for follow-up projects, including: 1) manipulating brain mechanisms using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and 2) training empathy and perspective-taking through a transdiagnostic, pair-based intervention.

All details about the study and its methods can be found here

Kanske, P., Chen, S., Hansl, R. et al. The interplay of neural networks enabling social interaction: Protocol of a multi-level, mixed-methods study of empathy and theory of mind. BMC Psychol 14, 1596 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05886-4