Abstract
This entry introduces response latency as a communication science research method. Using response latency in experimental studies advances our comprehension of the cognitive processes involved both during message processing and as part of contemplating messages during subsequent questioning; it enables researchers to understand how audience members process, store, focus on, access, and think about media messages. This entry presents a short introduction into the origins, categories, and basic characteristics of the response latency measure. It then discusses the theoretical foundations of the use of response latency in media psychology experiments, its procedural and methodological considerations, its feasibility, validity, reliability as well as other issues pertinent to the use of response time in communication research.
