Electrodermal asymmetry and vigilance in negative emotion, anxiety and stress

Bilateral electrodermal levels and responses were recorded during an emotional and neutral slide projection in high and low trait anxiety subjects. Half of the subjects of each group received reassuring instructions the other half received stressful instructions. Levels were more symmetrical in anxious subjects but asymmetry was not influenced by instruction type. In contrast, responses were more symmetrical in anxious subjects, were more symmetrical under stressful instructions but were more asymmetrical to the emotional than the neutral slides.