Graduation Date
Spring 2024
Document Type
Project
Program
Master of Arts degree with a major in Psychology, option Academic Research
Committee Chair Name
Dr. Mari Sanchez
Committee Chair Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Dr. Amber Gaffney
Second Committee Member Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Keywords
Neurocinematics, Neurocinema, Cinema, Neuroscience, Empathy, Embodied simulation, Cognitive empathy, Visual media
Subject Categories
Psychology
Abstract
Cinema is a medium that is beloved around the globe since its inception over a century ago. There have been speculations on how it is that cinema works, from editing to emotional processing of the story, but only recently have we begun to explore the inner workings of cinematic impact on the brain. In this paper we will review research on cinematic impact and define cinematic editing, discuss the birth of “neurocinematics”, highlight what we have observed with regards to neuroimaging and empathy when viewing films, and speculate on how our responses to cinema may be driven by the Mirror Neuron Mechanism. Past research in the neuroscience of cinema is sparse, but since the turn of the century there have been significant advances and inquiries on how our brains interpret cinematic stimuli. There are new fronts to still explore to understand how it is that cinema affects us, and this paper serves to inspire this fledgling field to press on.
Citation Style
APA 7
Recommended Citation
Trinity, Kira, "Neurocinematics and empathy: How cognitive neuroscience enhances our understanding of emotional responses of film" (2024). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 757.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/757
Included in
Cognition and Perception Commons, Cognitive Neuroscience Commons, Cognitive Psychology Commons, Other Film and Media Studies Commons