Media Neuroscience
Social Institutions
Mass Communication
J. Michael Mangus,
Aubrie Adams,
Rene Weber,
J. Michael Mangus
University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorAubrie Adams
University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorRene Weber
University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorJ. Michael Mangus,
Aubrie Adams,
Rene Weber,
J. Michael Mangus
University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorAubrie Adams
University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorRene Weber
University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
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.
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