Proficiency test analysis of a simple electro-dermal activity measurement technique for measuring an emotional task

Abstract

An electrodermal activity (EDA) measurement device has the ability to measure the electrical properties of the skin. The electrical properties of the skin change based on different kinds of stimuli that produce sweat generated by sweat glands. This study aimed to examine the sensitivity of a simple acquisition technique of EDA to detect conductance changes on the skin as a response to different stimuli that caused by emotional response state. A simple measurement technique and a fabricated instrument device for comparison were used when an emotional task was applied to the participants. Four participants were chosen, consisting of 2 men and 2 women between 20-25 years old. The EDA was measured while the participants watched a short scary movie using both devices. The result signals were analyzed using Convex Optimization Approach to Electrodermal Activity (cvxEDA) algorithm. The results revealed that several participants showed a state of psychological stress during the experiment using both devices, indicating the suitability of this simple device to detect changes of the EDA signal among the participants.