Habituation of the GSR and digital vasomotor components of the orienting reflex as a consequence of task instructions and sex differences

Abstract

Two studies are reported in which the effects of task instructions and sex differences on the GSR and digital vasomotor measures of the orienting reflex induced by innocuous words are examined. Instructions to perform an overt response to a tone significantly enhanced the GSR-OR to words preceding the occurrence of the tone, the task signal. No such effect was evident in the digital vasomotor response. A characteristic decline in responsivity to words was evident in the GSR but not in the vasomotor response which was relatively unresponsive. A sex difference, with males manifesting greater GSR responsivity, was found in most phases of the experiments. Less consistent sex differences were observed in the digital vasomotor response. © 1979, Psychonomic Society, Inc.. All rights reserved.