Activation States as Assessed by Verbal Report and Four Psychophysiological Variables

ABSTRACT The present research was part of a program aimed at examination of the validity of controlled verbal reports of various activation states. A difference score design was used in which four psychophysiological measures and verbal ratings of various activation states were obtained in a baseline and an activation period from 41 female subjects. Verbal reports were then correlated with individual physiological measures and composites or indices of physiological measures. Specifically, two kinds of physiological index were employed, one in which the subject's physiological change score was represented by the single system showing the greatest change, and a second index weighted equally by all four physiological measures. The physiological index using the single system showing the greatest activation yielded slightly greater correlations with verbal report than the other index. Skin conductance and heart rate, the best combination of the four physiological systems measured, correlated as high as .62 with verbal report. The results were interpreted as demonstrating the usefulness and validity of controlled self report and the relative superiority of skin conductance and heart rate among other physiological systems in correlations with verbal report.