Eccrine sweat gland activity and racial differences in resting skin conductance.

Abstract

ABSTRACTActive eccrine sweat gland activity was measured in 30 Negro and 29 Caucasian male subjects to determine whether sweat gland activity was a possible factor in racial differences in skin conductance. Basal skin conductance, heart rate, respiratory rate, finger skin temperature and blood pressure were also obtained. Negro Ss had significantly lower skin conductance but no other significant physiological differences were found. While there was no significant difference in number of active sweat glands between the races, the intragroup relationship between sweat gland count and skin conductance was significantly higher for the Negro Ss. The two groups did not differ in number of nonspecific galvanic skin responses (GSRs) but the Caucasian Ss showed greater change in skin conductance to an initial tone stimulus. When differences in prestimulus levels were taken into account, the group differences in response to stimuli were no longer significant.