Elicitation and habituation of the electrodermal activity responses: Implications for neurophysiological applications
By: Zainab H. Ahmed and Dindar S. Bari
References
- Bari DS. Gender differences in tonic and phasic electrodermal activity components. Sci J Univ Zakho. 2020; 8: 29–33.
https://doi.org/10.25271/sjuoz.2020.8.1.670 - Aldosky HYY, DS. Bari, Electrodermal activity: simultaneous recordings. In: El-Azazy M, Min M, Annus P, editors. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. London: IntechOpen; 2019. p. 1–16.
- Critchley HD. Electrodermal responses: what happens in the brain. Neuroscientist. 2002; 8: 132–42.
https://doi.org/10.1177/107385840200800209 - Posada-Quintero HF, Chon KH. Innovations in electrodermal activity data collection and signal processing: A systematic review. Sensors. 2020; 20: 479.
https://doi.org/10.3390/s20020479 - Boucsein W. Electrodermal activity. 2nd ed. New York: Springer Science & Business Media; 2012.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1126-0 - Martinsen ØG, Grimnes S, Nilsen JK, Tronstad C, Jang W, Kim H, Shin K, Naderi M, Thielmann F. Gravimetric method for in vitro calibration of skin hydration measurements. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2008; 55: 728–32.
https://doi.org/10.1109/TBME.2007.912651 - Tronstad C, Amini M, Bach DR, Martinsen ØG. Current trends and opportunities in the methodology of electrodermal activity measurement. Physiol Meas. 2022; 43: 02TR01.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6579/ac5007 - Rankin CH, Abrams T, Barry RJ, Bhatnagar S, Clayton DF, Colombo J, Coppola G, Geyer MA, Glanzman DL, Marsland S. Habituation revisited: an updated and revised description of the behavioral characteristics of habituation. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2009; 92: 135–38.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2008.09.012 - Edman G, Asberg M, Levander S, Schalling D. Skin conductance habituation and cerebrospinal fluid 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in suicidal patients. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1986; 43: 586–92.
https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1986.01800060080010 - Ben-Shakhar G, Dymshitz J, Lieblich I. Generalization of habituation of skin conductance responses to multidimensional sequences of stimuli. Psychophysiology. 1982; 19: 178–82.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.1982.tb02543.x - Walker FR, Thomson A, Pfingst K, Vlemincx E, Aidman E, Nalivaiko E. Habituation of the electrodermal response-A biological correlate of resilience? PloS one. 2019; 14: e0210078.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210078 - Juuse L, Tamm D, Loo K, Allik J, Kreegipuu K. Skin conductance response and habituation to emotional facial expressions and words. Acta Psychol. 2024; 251: 104573.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104573 - Pace-Schott EF, Shepherd E, Spencer RM, Marcello M, Tucker M, Propper RE, Stickgold R. Napping promotes inter-session habituation to emotional stimuli. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2011; 95: 24–36.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2010.10.006 - Cariga P, Catley M, Mathias C, Ellaway P. Characteristics of habituation of the sympathetic skin response to repeated electrical stimuli in man. Clin Neurophysiol. 2001; 112: 1875–880.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1388-2457(01)00647-2 - Murphy E, Poudel G, Ganesan S, Suo C, Manning V, Beyer E, Clemente A, Moffat BA, Zalesky A, Lorenzetti, V. Real-time fMRI-based neurofeedback to restore brain function in substance use disorders: A systematic review of the literature. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2024; 165: 105865.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105865 - Rowe MK, Craske MG. Effects of varied-stimulus exposure training on fear reduction and return of fear. Behav Res Ther. 1998; 36: 719–734.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(97)10017-1 - Lin-Stephens S. Visual stimuli in narrative-based interventions for adult anxiety: a systematic review. Anxiety Stress Coping. 2020; 33: 281–98.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2020.1734575 - Marchetta E, Mancini GF, Morena M, Campolongo P. Enhancing psychological interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment with memory influencing drugs. Curr Neuropharmaco. 2023; 21: 687–707.
https://doi.org/10.2174/1570159X21666221207162750 - Bari D, Aldosky H, Tronstad C, Kalvøy H, Martinsen Ø. Electrodermal responses to discrete stimuli measured by skin conductance, skin potential, and skin susceptance. Skin Res Technol. 2018; 24: 108–16.
https://doi.org/10.1111/srt.12397 - Martinsen ØG, Kalvøy H, Bari DS, Tronstad C. A circuit for simultaneous measurements of skin electrical conductance, susceptance, and potential. J Electr Bioimpedance. 2019; 10: 110–12.
https://doi.org/10.2478/joeb-2019-0016 - Sokolov EN. Perception und the conditioned reflex. Oxford: Pergamon; 1963.
- Rho G, Callara AL, Scilingo EP, Greco A, Bonfiglio L. Habituation of Central and Electrodermal Responses to an Auditory Two-Stimulus Oddball Paradigm. Sensors. 2024; 24: 5053.
https://doi.org/10.3390/s24155053 - Bari D, Aldosky H, Martinsen Ø. Simultaneous measurement of electrodermal activity components correlated with age-related differences. J Biol Phys. 2020; 46: 177–88.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10867-020-09547-4 - Bari D, Aldosky H, Tronstad C, Kalvøy H, Martinsen Ø. Electrodermal activity responses for quantitative assessment of felt pain. J Electr Bioimpedance. 2018b; 9: 52–8.
https://doi.org/10.2478/joeb-2018-0010 - Van Der Miesen MM, Vossen CJ, Eck J, Kühne S, Joosten EA, Linden DE, Peters JC. Assessing the reliability and association of pain ratings and skin conductance responses: Insights from habituation and sensitization to pain. J Pain. 2025; 105557.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105557 - Zimmer H, Richter F. Novelty detection and orienting: effects on skin conductance and heart rate. Psychol Res. 2023; 87: 1101–13.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-022-01735-2 - Vinberg K, Rosén J, Kastrati G, Ahs F. Whole brain correlates of individual differences in skin conductance responses during discriminative fear conditioning to social cues. Elife. 2022; 11: e69686.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.69686 - Thompson RF, Spencer WA. Habituation: a model phenomenon for the study of neuronal substrates of behavior. Psychol Rev. 1966; 73: 16–43.
https://doi.org/10.1037/h0022681
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/joeb-2026-0006 | Journal eISSN: 1891-5469
Language: English
Page range: 37 - 43
Submitted on: Apr 25, 2026
Published on: Jun 17, 2026
Published by: University of Oslo
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Keywords:
Related subjects:
© 2026 Zainab H. Ahmed, Dindar S. Bari, published by University of Oslo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.