THE GALVANIC SKIN-REFLEX

Abstract

In studies of the psychogalvanic reflex and of the electrical skin resistance in groups of persons representing various psychopathologic and normal reaction types, certain definite features have been found to be characteristic of the reaction groups studied. In earlier reports, we compared the average response of these groups to a standard situation, that is, to the reading aloud of a list of stimulus words. It was found that there were relatively few responses in the groups of catatonic, paranoid schizophrenic and depressed persons when compared with the more frequent reactions of normal persons. In the latter, reactions were well connected with the stimulus words, whereas in the psychopathologic cases they occurred more independently and erratically, especially in the paranoid schizophrenic patients, a feature which is well understandable on the basis of the general behavior constellation of these patients. Richter¹reported a higher resistance of the skin to electrical currents