ASMR in the Media
In recent years, ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) has increasingly been discussed publicly and in the media—including from a scientific perspective. This development is reflected, among other things, in a number of media contributions in which Dr. Tobias Lohaus, research associate at the Neuropsychological Therapy Center, has been involved. This compilation was prompted by a segment on the WDR program Wissen macht Ah!, which aired on January 10, 2026. Dr. Tobias Lohaus reviewed the script from a scientific standpoint and provided guidance on its content.
In the program, ASMR is explained in a clear and accessible way (starting at 14:44):
https://kinder.wdr.de/tv/wissen-macht-ah/av/wissen-macht-ah-das-f-wort-100.html
In addition, Dr. Tobias Lohaus has appeared in other media contributions on the topic of ASMR:
– Apotheken Umschau (online edition, November 15, 2025; planned print publication):
https://www.apotheken-umschau.de/gesund-bleiben/psyche/asmr-videos-zur-entspannung-bringt-das-was-1435921.html
– Servicezeit (WDR), TV segment from December 5, 2024, featuring an interview on ASMR:
https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/servicezeit/servicezeit-donnerstag-05-12-2024/wdr/...
– Deutschlandfunk Nova, radio segment from November 10, 2023, with a companion online article on the short-term positive effects of ASMR:
https://www.deutschlandfunknova.de/nachrichten/asmr-kurzfristige-positive-effekte-nachgewiesen
These contributions provide an overview of how ASMR is currently being covered in the media and contextualized from a scientific perspective.
Currently, we are looking for ASMR YouTubers with at least 1000 subscribers who would be willing to fill out short personality as well as mental health questionnaires. The questionnaires will take about 10-15 minutes to complete.
Click here to access the questionnaires:
https://bochumpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bEFtZI1RD44zyEm
We would like to thank all YouTubers for their participation!
In addition, we are looking for ASMR YouTubers with at least 250 000 subscribers who would be interested in cooperating with our research team, as we would like to have some (minimalistic) ASMR videos created by "professional" YouTubers. If you are interested and would like to get more information, we would be happy to receive a message from you: tobias.lohaus@rub.de. With successful cooperation we would thank you with a small financial incentive in terms of the effort put in.
We are looking for healthy participants who would like to watch ASMR videos (or: so called walking tour videos) on site at the Ruhr-University Bochum. If you want to participate, please contact Janika Stein (janika.stein@rub.de) or Pia Neumann (pia.neumann@rub.de; only participants who are fluent in German can participate)
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