Psychopathy and electrodermal responses to nonsignal stimulation.
Electrodermal activity was monitored while 64 prison inmates were presented with a random series of fast and slow rise-time tones ranging in intensity from 80 to 120dB. The inmates were divided into groups on the basis of global ratings of psychopathy and scores on the Socialization (Os) scale. The group considered to be most psychopathic (high ratings of psychopathy and low So scores) gave smaller skin conductance responses than did the other groups, but only to the 120dB tones. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that psychopaths are electrodermally hyporesponsive to intense nonsignal stimuli. High ratings of psychopathy were associated with slow recovery of the skin conductance response, but only with the 120dB fast rise-time tones, and only in the left hand.
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007839:Functional Laterality; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011329:Prisoners; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012951:Socialization; D013997:Time Factors