Group identification drives brain integration for collective performance

Group identification may influence collective behaviors and result in variations in collective performance. However, the evidence for this hypothesis and the neural mechanisms involved remain elusive. To this end, we conducted a study using both single-brain activation and multi-brain synchronization analyses to investigate how group identification influences collective problem-solving in a murder mystery case. Our results showed that groups with high levels of identification performed better individually compared to those with low identification, as supported by single-brain activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Furthermore, high-identification groups also showed enhanced collective performance, supported by within-group neural synchronization in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). The DLPFC–OFC connectivity played a crucial role in linking individual and collective performance. Overall, our study provides a two-in-one neural model to explain how group identification affects collective decision-making processes, offering valuable insights into the dynamics of group interactions.