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SELECTIVE HABITUATION OF GALVANIC SKIN RESPONSE COMPONENT OF THE ORIENTATION REACTION TO AN AUDITORY STIMULUS
Author(s) -
O'Gorman J. G.,
Mangan G. L.,
Gowen Joan A.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1970.tb02259.x
Subject(s) - habituation , stimulus (psychology) , psychology , neutral stimulus , audiology , skin conductance , stimulus control , orienting response , developmental psychology , cognitive psychology , neuroscience , medicine , biomedical engineering , nicotine
The prediction from Sokolov's (1960) theory that, following OR habituation, size of OR return is proportional to the amount of difference between the new stimulus and the habituating stimulus was tested using an auditory stimulus varying in frequency and intensity. Five S s were allocated to each of 16 conditions, three conditions involving changes in frequency, three involving changes in intensity, nine involving changes in both frequency and intensity, with one control condition involving a repetition of the habituating stimulus. Following habituation of the GSR component of the OR to a criterion of response failure for three successive trials, magnitude of GSR under the 16 conditions was measured. Contrary to Sokolov's theory, only increase in intensity had a significantly different effect on OR return. More importantly, it was found that S s habituating rapidly to the initial stimulus were less likely to show OR return to stimulus change. It was concluded that individual differences in habituation rate may be more important than stimulus difference effects in selective habituation.