In this article, analytical and experimental studies are carried out to investigate the dynamical behavior of polymer microspheres that are doped with magnetic polarizable microparticles. The effect of a static and harmonic inductive magnetic field on the elastic deformation of the microsphere is investigated. The elastic deformation that is induced by the magnetic forces (magnetostrictive effect) acting on the microsphere is measured using an optical technique that is based on the whispering gallery mode (WGM) of the microsphere. The WGMs experience a shift when the morphology of the resonator is perturbed by the elastic deformation. Therefore, the elastic deformation of the microsphere is measured by monitoring the shift of the optical resonances. For these studies, the microsphere has a radius of approximate to 600 mu m and is fabricated by mixing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with magnetic polarizable microparticles. The microsphere is further coated with a thin layer of pure PVC that serves as a wave-guide for the optical modes. Experiments are carried out to validate the analysis. Measurements are taken up to a frequency of 200 Hz, showing that the microspheres can be used as magnetic field sensors or as element for the fabrication of smart structures. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2018, 56, 598-603