Electrodermal responses to discrete stimuli measured by skin conductance, skin potential, and skin susceptance

Abstract

Background/aim: Presently, electrodermal activity (EDA) is the preferred term for changes in electrical properties of the skin. Change in the skin conductance responses (SCRs) and skin potential responses (SPRs) due to external stimuli have previously been investigated in a number of studies, but very little for skin susceptance responses (SSRs) recorded simultaneously at the same skin site. This study aimed to investigate the association between the three parameters of EDA, skin conductance (SC), skin potential (SP), and skin susceptance (SS) responses generated by different types of psychological stimuli.

Methods: SCRs, SPRs, and SSRs were recorded from 20 healthy test subjects simultaneously at the same skin area. EDA responses were induced by five different external stimuli, which were shown in the form of PowerPoint slides on a PC monitor that situated in front of participants.

Results: All stimuli evoked EDA responses, but with significantly different magnitudes, dependent on stimulus type. Both SC and SP waveforms yielded positive responses with respect to the stimuli; however, SS showed negative response and its role was found to be significant at low frequency (20 Hz).

Conclusions: This study illustrated that different discrete stimuli showed different passive and active electrodermal responses at the same skin site. SCRs, SPRs, and SSRs were dependent on the stimulus type, and the highest response was associated with the sound stimulus, which can be attributed to orienting response or startle reflex. In addition, it was found that the SSRs have a significant contribution at 20 Hz. In spite of a high correlation found between average amplitude values of SCRs and SSRs, no significant association was seen between average amplitudes values of SPRs and SSRs, and between SCRs and SPRs.

Keywords: electrodermal activity; external stimuli; skin conductance response; skin potential response; skin susceptance response.