Personality and electrodermal response lability: an interpretation

Area of Science:

• Psychophysiology
• Behavioral Neuroscience

Background:

• Electrodermal response (EDR) lability reflects stable individual differences in electrodermal activation.
• EDR lability is not consistently linked to dispositional or clinical anxiety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between EDR lability and the expression of emotional and antagonistic impulses.
• To explore EDR lability as a potential indicator of effortful control over emotional expression.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of phasic electrodermal activity frequency measures.
• Correlational studies examining EDR lability with dispositional traits and behavioral outcomes.

Main Results:

• Greater EDR lability is associated with a less expressive, more agreeable disposition.
• Greater EDR stability is linked to a more expressive, antagonistic disposition.
• EDR lability may reflect individual differences in the effortful control of emotional and antagonistic impulses.

Conclusions:

• EDR lability appears to be associated with individual differences in effortful self-control.
• Effortful self-control differences may explain links between EDR lability/stability and conditions like hypertension and antisocial behavior.