RESPONSE SPEED AS RELATED TO CS PREFAMILIARIZATION AND GSR RESPONSIVITY

Ss were 40 female undergraduates. During a prefamiliarization period, 20 Ss responded (Group R) and 20 did not respond (Group NR) at offset of a 5-sec light. Neither group showed differential rates of GSR response decrement, but Group R did exhibit larger intertrial GSRs than Group NR. Response speeds (RS) then were obtained from all Ss to presentations of a prefamiliarized or a nonfamiliarized light. The hypothesis that faster RS would accompany the nonfamiliarized stimulus was not supported. The expectation that Ss differing in GSR responsivity would show differential RS performance was confirmed; high- as opposed to low-GSR responders showed an increment in RS across trials. This finding is discussed according to an associative interpretation and related to the GSR results. (15 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1968 American Psychological Association.