Combining Neuroscience and Communication Study

Richard Huskey, of the Cognitive Communication Science Lab, Scheduled to Visit Purdue University this February

How does the brain respond to persuasive health messages, dynamic changes in video game content, and moral narratives? Many communication scientists use computational methods to build and test micro and macro communication theories, investigating the biological substrates of communication process. Dr. Huskey, an expert in communication neuroscience, is scheduled to visit Purdue University Thursday, February 28 through Friday, March 1. He will give a talk titled Macro and Micro Level Approaches to Computational Communication Neuroscience, in Beering B222 Friday, March 1 from 10:30 am to noon. 

Huskey applies a computational approach at both the micro and macro communication level in order to determine how an understanding of brain function can assist in testing communication theory. He serves as the Principal Investigator of the Cognitive Communication Science Lab, a cognitive neuroscience lab which studies motivational influences on attitudes and behavior using a variety of computational, behavioral, and neuroimaging techniques. Located within The Ohio State University, the Cognitive Communication Science Lab boasts transparency through an open-source environment and open-source research tools. Research conducted in the Cognitive Communication Science Lab focuses on topics including persuasion, cognitive control and moral reasoning. An Assistant Professor in the School of Communication at The Ohio State University, Huskey also currently serves as an officer of the Communication Science and Biology interest group at the International Communication Association and a member of the Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences.

While on campus Huskey will be hosting a public research talk. Dr. Richard Huskey will also be meeting with graduate students and faculty members from the College of Liberal Arts and the Polytechnic Institute throughout his time at Purdue.

Richard Huskey’s Abstract: “Communication scientists are increasingly adopting computational methods for theory building and testing. Much of this work focuses on the study of human communication at a macro level. For example, communication scientists use computational methods to interrogate who says what, to whom, in what channel, with what effect in large scale data sets comprised of news articles, social media posts, and player behavior in online video games. A related approach applies these same tools to study communication phenomena at a micro level by investigating the biological substrates of communication processes. While my research applies computational approaches at both levels, my talk will primarily focus on understanding how message content modulate brain function, and how an understanding of brain function can assist in communication theory testing. I will conclude with a brief discussion of a recently funded project that will link micro and macro levels of explanation of communication behavior.”