[Methods for quantifying phasic skin conductance amplitudes: threats to validity?]

Abstract

Two methods of determining the event-related skin conductance response (SCR) amplitude are in common use. In one of these, the difference in conductance between the point of onset and the peak level of a single wave is measured (method 1). The second approach is to determine the difference between two measures, one characterizing the prestimulus level, the other the highest conductance point of the SCR reached within a fixed period following the stimulus (method 2). A problem with quantifying the SCR amplitude occurs when a SCR is elicited before an immediately preceding response has had time to recover, because in this case the two methods lead to quite different values. If the amplitude of each response is measured from its own individual deflection point, the measurable amplitude of the second response will be smaller when it occurs immediately after or in the ascending limb of the first response. The problem is most evident in situations with a high probability of response superimposition, such as when a large number of nonspecific responses occur at the same time as the SCRs. This is found in individuals with a high degree of electrodermal lability. Electrodermal lability refers to a psychophysiological construct that is operationally defined by the frequency of spontaneous electrodermal fluctuations. In the present study, we therefore systematically investigated the effects of the two score methods on SCR amplitude in relation to lability by analyzing electrodermal data from two habituation studies. As expected, several method-specific effects which were related to lability emerged. Results and questions concerning the relevance of the findings are discussed, with special emphasis on the validity of psychophysiological investigations.