Beyond Neural Synchrony: A Multi-Dimensional Framework for Shared Responses in Film Viewing

Neurocinematics has established that structured audiovisual narratives can produce temporal correlations in brain activity across viewers. While this phenomenon of neural synchrony is important, it represents only one axis in a broader constellation of shared responses evoked by cinema. This paper proposes a multi-dimensional framework that situates neural synchrony alongside physiological, affective, behavioral, and cultural-cognitive alignment, and articulates methods to measure and analyze cross-domain synchrony. We synthesize empirical findings from neuroscience and media psychology, present a comprehensive experimental protocol, and describe analytic pipelines for joint time-series, intersubject correlation (ISC), and structural equation models that link domains. We conclude with implications for theory, filmmaking practice, and cross-cultural media studies.