The state of the art and the future of “wet psychophysiology” in communication research

The practice of “wet psychophysiology” involves the analysis of psychological and emotional processes and their associations with hormones, immune markers, and metabolic markers, and other outcomes measured in body fluids. This method affords communication scientists the ability to understand how social behavior influences, and is influenced by, internal physiological processes that cannot be adjudicated by observational or self-report methods. This chapter describes the methods and applications of wet psychophysiology by addressing endocrine markers, immune/inflammatory markers, and metabolic markers separately. The conclusion acknowledges additional potential outcomes and identifies important logistical and safety considerations.