ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the biological basis of information processing particularly of political visuals, which is important to understand when considering the use of psycho-physiological measurement because responses occur largely outside conscious awareness. The chapter describes the most common psychophysiological measures employed in political communication research, explaining their basic operation, appropriate use, and kinds of insights they facilitate. To illustrate the benefits of using psychophysiology, the chapter presents a case study involving negative political advertising. The most common psychophysiological techniques include measures of heart rate, skin conductance, facial muscle activation, or facial electromyography (EMG), and the startle reflex. To make a case for psychophysiology, the chapter illustrates a situation where psychophysiological measures uncovered a difference that self-report was unable to find, and present physiological data that show no signs of statistical difference despite a large difference in self-reported responses.
