A comparison of the galvanic skin responses of normals and psychotics

Abstract

The galvanic skin responses in 450 normals and 450 psychotics to faradic shock (left leg) and threat of shock was measured and compared. By expressing the GSR as a percentage of the maximum response the conversion of the raw data into derived measures was unnecessary. There was no significant difference between the two groups with respect to shock, however, the response to threat was 50% of that to shock in normals and about 20% in psychotics. The results indicate that although the physiological mechanism responsible for the GSR is not impaired in psychotics "there is a low level of appreciation of threat, probably due to an impairment of judgment." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)