Media Neuroscience
Title
Media Neuroscience
Author
Mangus, J. Michael
Adams, Aubrie
Weber, Rene
Research Area
Social Institutions
Topic
Mass Communication
Abstract
Media neuroscience offers a unique window into how the complexities of human behavior emerge from the dynamic interaction of adaptive brain structures in response to environmental inputs. Rather than treating these dynamics as a black box or measuring them only indirectly through self‐report or behavioral observation, neuroimaging studies are uniquely able to provide theoretical insight into underlying brain processes and their evolutionary basis. This essay provides an overview of foundational research in the area of media neuroscience, evaluates key critiques of that research, and provides an outlook for how emerging trends may develop in the near future.