Electrodermal Orienting Response Research Articles

Effects of stimulus information and stimulus duration on amplitude and habituation of the electrodermal orienting response

This study was designed to investigate the effects of stimulus information and stimulus duration on the skin conductance response (SCR) component of the orienting response (OR). Three levels of stimulus information were combined with two levels of stimulus duration in a 3 × 2 independent groups factorial design ( N = 90). On the basis of Sokolov's (1966) theory, it was hypothesized that: (a) high information stimuli would elicit larger initial SCRs than would stimuli of low information, (b) high-information stimuli would evoke more SCRs throughout a habituation series than would low-information stimuli, and (c) high-information stimuli would require more presentations to reach a habituation criterion than would stimuli of low information. It was also hypothesized that (d) long-duration stimuli would require fewer presentations to reach a habituation criterion and result in a faster rate of habituation than would stimuli of short duration. The stimuli consisted of black and white chequered patterns containing 12, 26 or 60 bits of information. Stimulus duration was either 0.5 or 4.5 sec, and each subject received 20 presentations at randomly ordered intervals of 20, 25, 30 and 35 sec. The results provided support for hypotheses (b), (c) and (d), but not for hypothesis (a). These results support the view that OR habituation can be conceptualized as a process of information extraction.

Dishabituation of the electrodermal orienting response following decay of sensitization

This study tested one of the basic propositions of dual-process theory (Groves and Thompson, 1970) that ‘dishabituation’ results from an independent, superimposed process of excitation and not from disruption of the habituation process as proposed by Sokolov (1963). Skin conductance level (SCL) was employed as a measure of sensitization. On the basis of dual-process theory, it was hypothesized that if sensitization produced by the ‘dishabituating’ stimulus has decayed prior to re-presentation of the habituating stimulus, skin conductance response (SCR) amplitude to the habituating stimulus will not differ from that displayed by a control group which did not receive presentation of the ‘dishabituating’ stimulus. In experiment 1 ( N = 10), subjects received 13 presentations of a 1000 Hz, 70 dB tone of 3 sec duration with inter-stimulus intervals of 40, 50 and 60 sec. Between trials 11 and 12, there was one presentation of a dishabituating (light) stimulus. Analysis of SCL indicated that an interval of 50 sec between trials 12 and 13 was sufficient to allow sensitization to decline to the pre-light level. The experimental conditions in experiment 2 ( N = 32) were the same as in experiment 1 except that only half the subjects received presentation of the dishabituating stimulus. The results indicated that although there were no group differences in SCR amplitude on trials 1–11, experimental subjects displayed significantly larger responses on trial 13 than did control subjects. These results suggest that interpolation of a different stimulus in an habituation series does, in fact, disrupt the habituation process.

Effects of “Below‐Zero” Habituation on the Electrodermal Orienting Response to a Test Stimulus

ABSTRACTTwo experiments were designed to investigate the effect of below‐zero habituation training on skin conductance response (SCR) amplitude to a change in auditory stimulus frequency. In both experiments, subjects were trained with a 1000 Hz tone until zero responding and then received 5, 10, or IS further training trials. In Experiment 1 (N=45), subjects then received 1 presentation of a test stimulus of 1400 Hz, while in Experiment 2 (N=45), the test stimulus was a tone of 670 Hz. On the basis of dual‐process theory, it was hypothesized that response amplitude to the test stimulus would be inversely related to amount of below‐zero training. However, the results of both experiments indicate that SCR amplitude was positively related to amount of below‐zero training. These results suggest that in situations of extended habituation training, an expectancy or subjective probability of stimulus occurrence gradient is important in determining response amplitude to a test stimulus.

To what does the terminal orienting response respond?

ABSTRACTPrevious authors suggested that the electrodermal orienting response to stimulus onset (OR) reflects cognitive processes related to the content of a stimulus while responses to stimulus offset (TOR) reflect processes related to stimulus duration. Experiment 1 tested the hypothesis that the OR and TOR are special cases of Ss responding to whatever part of the stimulus contains information necessary to make the requested judgment. The results clearly supported this alternative hypothesis. The Ss responded to stimulus onset when asked to judge the pitch (content) of a constant tone and to stimulus offset when asked to judge the terminal pitch of a varying tone. They responded to both the onset and offset of a stimulus when asked to compare the onset and offset pitch and when asked to judge stimulus duration. Experiment 2 partially replicated Experiment 1 in an attempt to assess the OR‐TOR phenomenon in a second sensory modality (vision) and with a second dependent measure. The patterns of both electrodermal and heart rate responses were similar to those of Experiment 1 and to those observed by other authors.

Habituation of the electrodermal orienting reaction to potentially phobic and supposedly neutral stimuli in normal human subjects

Three experiments concerning habituation of the electrodermal orienting response to pictures of phobic and neutral objects in normal human subjects are reported. In the first one, two independent groups were given either 16 presentations of snake pictures, or 16 presentations of pictures of houses. The pictures differed between subjects but a certain subject saw the same pictures throughout the experiment. The results showed no significant difference between groups in response magnitude, but significantly fewer trials to habituation in the group given neutral pictures. The second experiment used a within-subject design, with mixed presentation of either a snake and a house picture, or a spider and house picture. The responses to phobic stimuli were larger than those to neutral ones, and the latter took significantly fewer trials to habituate. The third experiment used a between-subject design where some shocks were given before the experiment, and the subject was threatened that some shocks would also be given during the experiment. This procedure potentiated the difference between the stimuli, so that the responses to the phobic pictures were about four times as large as those to the neutral stimuli.

Phasic electrodermal orienting response in chronic schizophrenics. II. Response to auditory signals of varying intensity.

Phasic electrodermal orienting response in chronic schizophrenics. II. Response to auditory signals of varying intensity.

Effects of set and sex on the electrodermal orienting response.

ABSTRACTThis study sought to determine the extent to which brief instructions to “pay attention” would affect the magnitude and rate of habituation of the electrodermal orienting response (OR) and whether sex differences would be obtained. Compared to neutral (relaxation) instructions, it was found that Ss who were told to pay attention: (1) had larger ORs to the first tone in each of 2 sets of 20 tones, (2) showed more irregular habituation over the second set of tones, and (3) exhibited decreases in base conductance during a rest period between sets of tones. Females habituated faster than males over the first set of tones. The results are discussed in terms of preparatory set variables.