Virtual fMRI brown bag: October 16

Please join us for a talk given by Clare Grall, a postdoctoral fellow in Emily Finn's lab at Dartmouth College.

The nuance of naturalistic: A media approach to naturalistic neuroscience

Abstract:

The adoption of naturalistic stimuli in neuroimaging research inspired a wealth of opportunities and analytical tools- but are we taking full advantage? As a media researcher, I argue that cognitive, social, and affective neuroscientists have just scratched the surface of what we can learn using media stimuli, and one path for progress is to consider the lessons readily available from media production and media research. In this talk, I'll present a brief investigation on how naturalistic media stimuli are currently treated in neuroimaging literature and offer insights from media scholarship that have practical methodological implications for neuroimaging paradigms. How do filmmakers think about ‘low-level’ features such as scene cuts versus how we view them through the lens of neuroimaging experiments? How can we use media theory to predict how viewers will empathize and evaluate actors on screen over time? Through examples from film philosophy, screenwriting, and media psychology, I'll model the many ways we can leverage media research to benefit naturalistic neuroimaging research.

For a recording of this talk please email Adam Steel or Courtney Rogers.