Charting Neurodynamic Eddies in the Temporal Flows of Teamwork

Abstract

Teams at the ‘sweet spot’ of organization demonstrate both stability and flexibility having the organization to cooperatively accomplish the task while being able to rapidly respond to evolving demands. The goal of this study was to characterize these reorganizations at the neurophysiologic level. The neurophysiologic measures highlighted were electroencephalography (EEG)-derived levels of engagement or workload that were modeled into collective team variables called Neurophysiologic Synchronies (NS) showing the engagement or workload levels of each team member as well as the team as a whole. An entropy model of the NS data streams revealed a dynamic information structure characterized by fluctuations or eddies in the neurodynamic flow of the team. These eddies were often seen when a team encountered an obstruction to its normal operation. Fewer, or less persistent or lower amplitude eddies were correlated with higher team performance suggesting that the entropy levels of NS data streams may identify when a team is operating inside or out of its sweet spot of organization.