Can different types of anxiety states be differentiated electrodermally?
Increased electrodermal spontaneous fluctuation and decreased skin conductance OR recovery time were related to short duration increases in test anxiety. These electrodermal indices were unrelated to long-term worry associated with an impending stressful event. Amplitudes of responses were not related to short-term (or test) anxiety. Amplitude of the startle response was found to increase over a period of one week, as anxiety provoking events approached, where the subjects were in a position of helplessness. However, when an effective coping was subjectively perceived, 'startle response' appeared to be 'inhibited' to a significant degree. Amplitude of startle response may be a useful index for monitoring subjective 'worry' versus 'coping'.
D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000502:physiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*