Physiological Measures

Question 1

How is skin conductance measured?

Answer 1

Attaching electrodes to the index and middle fingers of one hand to detect sweating
A tiny current is applied between the electrodes
By measuring the current that flows, conductance can be reported

Question 2

What is a strength of skin conductance response (physiological measures)

Answer 2

Avoids some of the problems of self-report scales to measure stress -> not influenced by social desirability bias + may also be the only way to measure stress in certain participants when researchers are unable to give participants a self report scale to complete (Animals+children)

Question 3

What is a weakness of skin conductance response (physiological measure)

Answer 3

Stress is not the only stimulus to produce an increase of activity in the SNS -> other factors e.g anger, fear, sexual arousal, surprise, temperature, medication and cognitive appraisal (whether a person feels they are being treated fairly) all produce an increase in sweat and skin conduction response -> therefore may not be an accurate way of measuring stress due to the influence of other factors