Electrodermal Response (EDR)

The electrodermal response (EDR), also referred to as the galvanic skin response (GSR), 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 EDR is commonly used in Biofeedback experiments.

EDR 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.

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