The Science Behind What We Do
Understanding the Embodied Mind in Media Research
At the Murrow Media Mind Lab, our research is grounded in the idea that the mind is not separate from the body—it is the body. This concept, known as the embodied mind, is central to everything we study. Through biometric tools like heart rate (ECG), skin conductance (EDA), and facial EMG, we explore how your nervous system reacts in real-time to media and advertisements, uncovering how emotions, attention, and cognition unfold as you experience them.
What is the Psychophysiology Paradigm?
Psychophysiology is the scientific approach we use to link physiological signals to psychological processes. It’s not just about measuring a heartbeat or a skin response—it’s about understanding what those signals tell us about how you think, feel, and engage with media content.
Our approach assumes:
- The mind is embodied in the brain, nervous system, and body.
- Mental processing unfolds across time, not all at once.
- Emotional and cognitive responses are deeply interconnected.
Why This Matters for Advertising and Media Research
We believe that media doesn’t just inform or entertain—it interacts with your body and brain. We use the Embodied Motivated Cognition (EMC) framework to study this. EMC sees attention, emotion, and motivation as inseparable—and our tools help us see these processes play out in real time.
This lets us answer questions like:
- What part of an ad grabs attention and why?
- How does emotional arousal shape memory of a message?
- What does a change in facial muscle tension tell us about emotional valence?
- How do new technologies like VR affect embodied mental experience?
Our Theoretical Goals
By combining biometric signals with psychological theory, we go beyond surface-level reactions. We’re studying:
- How your body and brain co-process media
- How advertising effects emerge from physiological and emotional states
- How to make content that is not only engaging but ethically and effectively crafted
We’re not just looking at responses—we’re looking at processes. And by grounding our work in a strong scientific framework, we aim to contribute to both academic knowledge and industry innovation.
