INTAKE-REJECTION, VERBALIZATION, AND AFFECT - EFFECTS ON HEART RATE AND SKIN CONDUCTANCE

Visual tasks judged to require stimulus intake or stimulus rejection were accompanied by instruction to verbalize or not to verbalize as they were presented to male students. Heart rate and skin conductance measures indicated that (1) Lacey's directional fractionation occurred to intake stimuli which were rated pleasant and to those rated unpleasant; (2) an instruction to verbalize following the task increased HR within the limits of a supposed ceiling effect, removing evidence of directional fractionation; and (3) there was no direct relationship between the measures and rated affect. The conclusions of other researchers were examined in relation to these findings. Copyright © 1969, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved