title: Stability, consistency, and heritability of electrodermal response lability in middle-aged male twins.
abstract: We examined individual differences in nonspecific electrodermal response (EDR) lability in terms of retest stability, cross-situational consistency, and heritability in a sample of 345 adult monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs. We also examined the phenotypic and genetic relationships between EDR lability and speed of habituation of the specific EDR to a nonsignal stimulus. Individual variation in EDR lability showed substantial retest stability and cross-situational consistency and also predicted resistance to specific EDR habituation. Structural equation modeling showed that the covariation among EDR lability measures and resistance to specific EDR habituation operated through a single latent phenotype, which was influenced in approximately equal measure by genetic and unique environmental factors. We discuss these findings in terms of an information processing account of individual differences in phasic EDR activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crider
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Kremen
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xian
authors.forename: Kristen C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Waterman
authors.forename: Seth A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Eisen
authors.forename: Ming T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Tsuang
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lyons
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D010641:Phenotype; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic