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Dependence of EDR Recovery Times and Other Electrodermal Measures on Scale of Measurement: A Methodological Clarification
Author(s) -
Sagberg Fridulv
Publication year - 1980
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.1469-8986.1980.tb00192.x
Subject(s) - psychology , skin conductance , scale (ratio) , constant (computer programming) , transformation (genetics) , relevance (law) , amplitude , range (aeronautics) , cognitive psychology , audiology , optics , chemistry , computer science , physics , medicine , biochemistry , materials science , quantum mechanics , law , political science , biomedical engineering , composite material , gene , programming language
Edelberg (1970) and Boucsein and Hoffmann (1979) found shorter recovery times with a constant voltage method as compared with a constant current method. In the present paper it is pointed out that this effect may be due to the use of different scales of measurement rather than to any electrophysiological aspects of the recording procedure. The mathematical relationship between resistance and conductance implies that recovery times are shorter for SCRs than for corresponding SRRs. For demonstration purposes, recovery times were computed from an SR record and compared with those computed from the same record after computerized transformation to SC. Research implications of the demonstrated effect are discussed, and the relevance of measurement scale to two other electrodermal measures, area below the curve and range‐corrected amplitude, is pointed out.