Publication recommendations for electrodermal measurements

• Published in: Psychophysiology 2012-08, Vol.49 (8), p.1017-1034
• Main Authors: Boucsein, Wolfram, Fowles, Don C., Grimnes, Sverre, Ben‐Shakhar, Gershon, Roth, Walton T., Dawson, Michael E., Filion, Diane L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anatomy & physiology; Electric Stimulation; Electrodermal measurement; Electrodes; Electromagnetic Fields; Galvanic Skin Response - drug effects; Galvanic Skin Response - physiology; Humans; Laboratory and field recording; Magnetic fields; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Monitoring, Ambulatory; Psychiatry; Psychophysiology - standards; Publications - standards; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; Skin admittance; Skin conductance; Skin Physiological Phenomena; Skin potential
• ISSN: 0048-5772; 1469-8986; 1540-5958
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2012.01384.x

This committee was appointed by the SPR Board to provide recommendations for publishing data on electrodermal activity (EDA). They are intended to be a stand‐alone source for newcomers and experienced users. A short outline of principles for electrodermal measurement is given, and recommendations from an earlier report (Fowles et al., ) are incorporated. Three fundamental techniques of EDA recording are described: (1) endosomatic recording without the application of an external current, (2) exosomatic recording with direct current (the most widely applied methodology), and (3) exosomatic recording with alternating current—to date infrequently used but a promising future methodology. In addition to EDA recording in laboratories, ambulatory recording has become an emerging technique. Specific problems that come with this recording of EDA in the field are discussed, as are those emerging from recording EDA within a magnetic field (e.g., fMRI). Recommendations for the details that should be mentioned in publications of EDA methods and results are provided.