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Race Differences and Experimenter Race Effect in Galvanic Skin Response
Author(s) -
Fisher Leslie E.,
Kotses Harry
Publication year - 1973
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.1469-8986.1973.tb00807.x
Subject(s) - psychology , skin conductance , race (biology) , audiology , stimulus (psychology) , developmental psychology , medicine , cognitive psychology , botany , biomedical engineering , biology
The present study was designed to ascertain whether racial differences exist in the several components of the skin resistance response and to assess the importance of the role of the experimenter's race in determining the subject's responsiveness. Basal measures, GSR magnitude, and spontaneous GSR activity of 12 Negro and 12 Caucasian S s were recorded by 2 Negro and 2 Caucasian experimental assistants matched for age, physical stature, and dress. Following a 15 min resting phase, all S s received 14 1‐sec bursts of 75 dB white noise. Variable stimulus intervals were employed. Significant subject‐race effects, but no experimenter‐race effects, were found for base level measures. Negro S s evidenced significantly higher basal resistance levels. Conversely, experimenter‐race effects, but no subject‐race effects, were apparent in the GSR magnitude data. White S s showed a significantly slower rate of response magnitude decrease over trials when paired with black E s. A significant decrease in spontaneous activity over time was observed for all S s.