學術研究 • ACADEMIC RESEARCH 54 澳大新語 • 2025 UMAGAZINE 31 This finding reveals a key mechanism in the learning process and opens up new avenues for improving teaching practices in the classroom. How Family Dynamics Influence Child Development In another study, we observed the performance of 47 mother-daughter pairs in a jigsaw puzzle task to investigate how positive and negative parental feedback affects brain synchronisation between mothers and daughters, and to better understand children’s neural responses when interacting with their parents. The study showed that negative feedback significantly reduced brain synchronisation between mothers and daughters in areas such as the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), which are crucial for regulating emotions and processing social interactions. In other words, negative feedback may disrupt the neural pathways that help children process and cope with emotional experiences. In contrast, positive feedback was associated with increased synchronisation in these regions, suggesting that encouraging feedback helps mothers and daughters understand each other better during interactions. We also found that families with a ‘conformity communication pattern’—defined by rigid, authoritarian communication—showed less synchronisation in brain areas related to emotional regulation and language processing. In contrast, families with a more open 「學術研究」為投稿欄目，內容僅代表作者個人意見。 Academic Research is a contribution column. The views expressed are solely those of the author(s). 王一暉是澳門大學教育學院博士生，導師為張娟副教授。 Kira Wang Yihui is a PhD student in the Faculty of Education at the University of Macau, under the supervision of Prof Zhang Juan. 張娟是澳門大學教育學院副教授，澳門大學教育學院幼兒教育及兒童發展中心主任，同時為澳門大學認知與腦科學 研究中心成員。 Zhang Juan is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education, director of the Centre for Early Childhood Education and Child Development, and a member of the Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences at the University of Macau. and conversational communication style exhibited greater synchronisation, suggesting that warmth and flexibility in communication support better emotional and cognitive development in children. Notably, emotionally resilient children maintained strong brain synchronisation with their mothers, even when they received negative feedback. This suggests that resilience may buffer against the negative neural effects of criticism, helping children cope with challenges more effectively, both in terms of information processing and emotional regulation. Bridging Science and Practice Using advanced fNIRS hyperscanning technology, our studies have demonstrated the strong connection between brain synchronisation and both academic learning and emotional development, both in the classroom and at home. For educators, adopting more creative and engaging teaching methods such as storytelling and storyboarding can enhance brain synchronisation and improve learning outcomes. For parents and caregivers, understanding how different types of feedback affect brain synchronisation can help develop nurturing and effective strategies to support children’s emotional and cognitive growth. Overall, our studies pave the way for future research to explore the complex relationships between brain activity, social engagement, and developmental outcomes.
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