Rob Potter

Biography

Potter’s research focuses on the impact of sound on information processing of media, using psychophysiological measures as indicators of cognitive and emotional response. In 2023 he was named a Fellow of the International Communication Association.

Potter’s work has been published in Media Psychology, Communication Research, Communication Monographs, and Journal of Advertising, among others. He conducts his research in the Institute for Communication Research.

He recently co-edited the International Encyclopedia of Communication Research Methods.

Potter’s first book Psychophysiological Measurement and Meaning:  Cognitive and Emotional Responses to Media (with Paul Bolls) was published in 2012 by Routledge.

Dr. Potter is the Director of Graduate Studies at the Media School.

You can download a copy of his CV here.

Select Journal Articles

Audio in Media:

• Rodero, E., Potter, R.F., Prieto, P. (2021) Do not sound like an announcer. The emphasis strategy in commercials.  Psychology & Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21525

• Potter, R.F., Sites, J., Jamison-Koenig, E., Zheng, X. (2018).The Impact of Cognitive Load on the Cardiac Orienting Response to Auditory Structural Features during Natural Radio Listening Situations.  Journal of Cognition. https://doi.org/10.5334/joc.43

• Lee, S. & Potter, R.F.  (2018). The impact of emotional words on listeners’ cognitive and emotional responses in the context of advertising.  Communication Research. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0093650218765523.

• Rodero, E., Potter, R.F., Prieto, P., (2017) Pitch Range Variations Improves Cognitive Processing of Audio Messages.  Human Communication Research (43): 397-413. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hcre.12109/full

• Potter, R.F., Jamison-Koenig, E., Lynch, T, & Sites, J. (2016).  Effect of Vocal Tonal Difference on Automatic  Attention to Voice Changes in Audio Messages.  Communication Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650215623835

• Potter, R.F., Lynch, T., Krause, A. (2015)  I’ve heard that before:  Habituation of the Orienting Response Follows Repeated Presentation of Audio Structural Features in Radio. Communication Monographs (82), pp. 359-378.  DOI:  10.1080/03637751.2015.1019529

• Potter, R. F., Lang, A., & Bolls, P. D. (2008). Identifying structural features of audio: Orienting responses during radio messages and their impact on recognition. Journal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications, 20(4), 168-177. DOI: 10.1027/1864-1105.20.4.168

• Potter, R.F. & Choi, J. (2006).  The Effects of Auditory Structural Complexity on Attitudes, Attention, Arousal & Memory. Media Psychology. 8 (4), 395-419. DOI: 10.1207/s1532785xmep0804_4

Advertising Research:

• Cores Sarria, L., Han, J., Myrick, J. G., & Potter, R. F. (in press). The effects of ‘media tech neck’: The impact of spinal flexion on cognitive and emotional processing of videos.  Communication Research, 50(5), 584-609. https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502221150319

• Lee, M., Potter, R. F., & Han, J. (2023). Motivational system approach understand ad processing following various game outcomes.  Sport Management Review, 26(4), 517-539. https://doi.org/10.1080/14413523.2022.2137969

• Lee, M., Potter, R. F., & Pedersen, M. (2020). The effects of emotions on cognitive effort while processing stadium-embedded advertising: A dynamic motivational systems approach.  European Sport Management Quarterly: 19 (5); 605-624. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16184742.2018.1562483

• Bellman, S., Potter, R.F., Robinson, J.A., & Varan, D. (2020). The effectiveness of various video ad-choice formats. Journal of Marketing Communications. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2020.1753091

• Read, G., van Driel, I., Innis, I., & Potter, R. F. (2019) Mates or Married: Implications of gender composition and physical intimacy on evaluation of images testing for advertising.  Communication Research Reports. https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/suMk2sgCA2PkneymEDTm/full?target=10.1080/08824096.2019.1605894

• Lee, M, Potter, R.F., Pedersen, M. (2018). The Effects of Emotions on Cognitive While Processing Stadium-Embedded Advertising: A Dynamic Motivational System Approach.  European Sport Management Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2018.1562483

• Lee, S. & Potter, R.F.  (2018). The impact of emotional words on listeners’ cognitive and emotional responses in the context of advertising.  Communication Research. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0093650218765523.

• Read, G., van Driel, I., & Potter, R.F. (2018) Bias level matters: Advertisements featuring same-sex couples affect physiological but not self-reported responses. Journal of Advertising 47, p. 182-197. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2018.1452653

• Bellman, S.; Potter, R.F., Treleaven-Hassard, S.; Robinson, J.A.; Varan, D (2011).  The Effectiveness of Branded Mobile Phone Apps.  Journal of Interactive Marketing 25 191-200. DOI: 10.1016/j.intmar.2011.06.001

• Potter, R. F.  (2009). Double the Units:  How Increasing the Number of Advertisements while Keeping the Overall Duration of Commercial Breaks Constant Affects Radio Listeners.  Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 53 (4), 584-598. DOI: 10.1080/08838150903332991

• Potter, R.F., Callison, C., Chambers, T., Edison, A. (2008).  Radio’s Clutter Conundrum:  Better Memory for Ads, Worse Attitudes Toward Stations.  International Journal of Media Management (10), 139-147. DOI: 10.1080/14241270802426667