Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) |
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The galvanic skin response to stressful or arousing stimuli can easily be demonstrated in teaching laboratories using PowerLab data acquisition systems.
The galvanic skin response (GSR), also referred to as the electrodermal response (EDR), measures electrical skin conductance from the fingers or palms that is associated with sweat gland activity. It is commonly used in psychophysiology experiments to infer emotional state and cortical arousal. The GSR is commonly used in Biofeedback experiments.
GSR recordings are easily obtained in undergraduate teaching laboratories using GSR Finger Electrodes and the GSR Amp connected to PowerLab. An interesting alternative to GSR is the sympathetic skin response (SSR), which is easily recorded using ECG Electrodes and Bio Amps. An Instructor Note on human reflexes, including the GSR, is available from the Experiments section.
Other physiological signals that may complement GSR experiments are Blood Pressure, Respiratory Movements and EMG. For these parameters, ADInstruments provides suitable sensors that are safe for human connection. The Psychophysiology Teaching System is preconfigured with the most appropriate signal conditioners and transducers for experiments of galvanic skin responses or biofeedback using LabChart software. |