Galvanic skin response (GSR), also known as electrodermal activity (EDA), indicates the electrical conductivity of the skin. As perspiration increases, skin resistance decreases with increasing emotional activity. Skin conductivity was therefore often used in the past as a simple measure in lie-detection tests. However, skin conductivity is not directly related to the degree of emotional arousal, but follows a more complex mathematical curve in response to a stimulus.
When measured over time, it must first undergo complex preprocessing before it is useful for further quantitative analysis.
- Significance for the emotional intensity: high
- Informative value on the kind of emotion: low
- Informative value on the mental workload: low
- Effort: easy to measure via two electrodes, for example on the palm