Autonomic Responses to Affective Visual Stimulation

ABSTRACT Physiological responses were recorded while 48 male S s viewed a series of 30 slides of homicide scenes, nude females, or ordinary objects. Half the S s saw the same slide 30 times while the others saw a different slide on each trial. The physiological responses given by all six groups involved were those generally associated with an OR—increase in skin conductance, cardiac deceleration, and digital vasoconstriction. In addition, a biphasic cephalic vasomotor response, consisting of constriction followed by dilation, was observed. Stimulus presentation was also accompanied by a sharp reduction in eyeblink rate. The physiological and eyeblink responses given by S s who saw a different homicide scene on each trial were generally greater and more resistant to habituation than were those given by other S s. S s repeatedly shown the same homicide scene gave relatively small cardiac and cephalic vasomotor responses, and showed rapid habituation of the electrodermal response.