Skin Potential Level: Age and Recording Site Interactions

Abstract

Two experiments comparing the skin potential level (SPL) of young (30 to 47 years), middle-aged (48 to 65 years), and old (66 to 82 years) men during rest and during stimulus presentations using a nonhydrating electrolyte medium demonstrated that there was an ordered relationship between SPL negativity and age with the older men having less negative levels. Age differences in SPL were dependent upon recording site with larger age differences occurring when SPL was recorded from the medial phalanx than when SPL was recorded from the thenar eminence.

Age, gender, and ethnicity as variables in psychophysiological assessment: Sociodemographics in context.

“…A number of studies have shown that skin conductance levels are reduced in older individuals, associated perhaps with the decline in the number of active sweat glands and decreased output per sweat gland with age (Juniper & Dykman, 1967; MacKinnon, 1954). The magnitude of these age differences may be related to the anatomical location from which skin conductance is measured (Capriotti, Garwood, & Engel, 1981).…”

Psychophysiological responses of older adults to an anxiety -evoking stimulus

“…Hypothesis 1: Older adults will exhibit reduced physiological response and faster recovery to stimuli as compared to younger adults Consistent with previous research, younger and older adult participants did not differ in baseline measures of HR, SCL, or SCR (Capriotti et al, 1981;Faucheux, Dupuis, et al, 1983;Garwood et al, 1982;Jennings et al, 1990;Shmavonian, et al, 1970), but did differ in baseline blood pressure readings, with older adults exhibiting significantly greater blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) at baseline than younger adults (Boutcher & Stocker, 1996;Garwood et al, 1982;Jennings et al, 1990). This latter finding supports literature suggesting the reduced plasticity of the arteries as a consequence of the aging process, resulting in greater peripheral resistance and higher resting blood pressure.…”

“…Despite methodological concerns, the internal validity of the remaining nine articles were sufficiently intact to warrant discussion of reported results, albeit with caution (Boutcher & Stocker, 1996;Capriotti, Garwood, & Engel, 1981;Faucheux, Baulon et al, 1983;Faucheux, Dupuis, Baulon, Lille, & Bourliere, 1983;Garwood, Engel, & Capriotti, 1982;Jennings, Brock, & Nebes, 1990;Shmavonian, Miller, & Cohen, 1968Shmavonian, Yarmat, & Cohen, 1965). It should be noted that technically, only the findings from six studies will be discussed because three of the nine articles included duplicate reports based on data presented in one of the other studies (Capriotti et al, 1981;Faucheux, Baulon, et al, 1983;Faucheux, Dupuis, et al, 1983;Garwood et al, 1982;Shmavonian et al, 1968Shmavonian et al, , 1970. Again, the findings from these six studies should be interpreted with caution because they, too, may also have some problems with limited generalizability and the threat of confounding variables, although not as problematic as in the other eleven studies.…”

“…colleagues (1968, 1965) reported smaller baseline values and smaller SCR from older adults as compared to younger adults during conditioning, and faster extinction to a stimulus than younger adults, while the study by colleagues (1981, 1982) did not yield significant age effects for SPL or SCL. However, Capriotti et al (1981) and Garwood et al (1982) collapsed measurement responses across multiple tasks that required different coping strategies (e.g., passive vs. active).…”