An Initial Examination of the Post-Auricular Reflex As a Physiological Indicator of Appetitive Activation During Television Viewing

Previous research has demonstrated the post-auricular (PA) reflex to be a potentially valid measure of emotional response during mediated stimuli. However, the PA reflex has not been examined during television viewing. The goal of this study was to examine whether the PA reflex may serve as a useful indicator of emotional responding to television content. PA reflexes were measured while experimental participants viewed television advertisements varying in emotional valence (pleasant and unpleasant) and arousal (high and low). The PA reflexes were greatest during viewing of pleasant television advertisements that were highest in arousal. The findings replicated recent results and provided further validation that the PA reflex may indicate strength of activation in the human appetitive motivational system. The results provide new evidence demonstrating the measure's potential validity for mass communication researchers.