electrodermal
Electrodermal Lab Report
Introduction: The word polygraph translates to “many measures” although many assume it’s a synonym for lie detector. The polygraph records changes from a person’s normal heart rate, respiration rate, and electro-dermal activity (EDA). Based on these changes which are recorded, an examiner can detect if a person is being truthful or lying. The physiological basis of the EDA is that sweat glands will increase secretion based on somatic sensory stimulus, for example touch, pain, pressure, and will cause a change in emotion. The increase secretion (sweat) is generally small, however it lowers the electrical resistance of the skin since seat contains water and electrolytes. Both of these increase the skins electrical conductivity. The results of a polygraph are reliable because of the fact that it detects involuntary changes in the nervous system such as heart rate, respiratory rate and sweating. These physiological activities can not consciously be altered which is a critical reason that allows the polygraph to give accurate results. In the first three segments of the experiment, a puzzling observation I noticed was that the heart rate decreased during the first two segments and increased during the third segment. The third segment involved questions which the subject claimed to have been truthful when answering. Based on this phenomenon, we wanted to know how different volumes of sound affect physiology stress. Our Hypothesis was that if the volume of music was increased, then would also increase. We tested this hypothesis assuming that at the higher volumes, heart rate, reparation and EDA would all increase. This is an important topic because so many people are walking around with their headphones on or listen to music as they do work. It would be interesting to see the effects it has on stress especially for younger people in school who already complain about being stressed out.
Materials/Methods: During our
Introduction: The word polygraph translates to “many measures” although many assume it’s a synonym for lie detector. The polygraph records changes from a person’s normal heart rate, respiration rate, and electro-dermal activity (EDA). Based on these changes which are recorded, an examiner can detect if a person is being truthful or lying. The physiological basis of the EDA is that sweat glands will increase secretion based on somatic sensory stimulus, for example touch, pain, pressure, and will cause a change in emotion. The increase secretion (sweat) is generally small, however it lowers the electrical resistance of the skin since seat contains water and electrolytes. Both of these increase the skins electrical conductivity. The results of a polygraph are reliable because of the fact that it detects involuntary changes in the nervous system such as heart rate, respiratory rate and sweating. These physiological activities can not consciously be altered which is a critical reason that allows the polygraph to give accurate results. In the first three segments of the experiment, a puzzling observation I noticed was that the heart rate decreased during the first two segments and increased during the third segment. The third segment involved questions which the subject claimed to have been truthful when answering. Based on this phenomenon, we wanted to know how different volumes of sound affect physiology stress. Our Hypothesis was that if the volume of music was increased, then would also increase. We tested this hypothesis assuming that at the higher volumes, heart rate, reparation and EDA would all increase. This is an important topic because so many people are walking around with their headphones on or listen to music as they do work. It would be interesting to see the effects it has on stress especially for younger people in school who already complain about being stressed out.
Materials/Methods: During our