The early history of electrodermal research.

The historical origins and early development of electrodermal research are reviewed in the light of a substantial number of previously unexamined sources. Relevant literature in electrophysiology, neurology, electrodiagnosis, and electrotherapy is examined with regard to the technology and the context of ideas in science and medicine. The first reports of basal skin resistance (BSR) and stimulated skin resistance (GSR) change by Vigouroux and Fere, respectively, are related to their other research and that of other workers. Hermann's early work on the sudomotor system is seen as much more advanced than has been realized, providing a sound basis for theory which the French apparently never noticed. Several additional sources suggest that TarchanofE's work was performed with awareness of Fere's and was probably not an independent discovery. The growth of the field following "rediscovery" of the GSR by Mueller and Veraguth is seen as a product of interest in indexing "mental events." The earlier work is seen as conceptually closer to current interest in the phenomena as aspects of the arousal system. DESCRIPTORS: Electrodermal research, History of electrodermal research. Skin resistance, GSR, PGR, Electrophysiology, Electrotherapy, Magnetotherapy, Metallotherapy, Detection of emotions. (R. Blanton) The first observations of psychological factors in relation to electrodermal phenomena are generally attributed to Romain Vigouroux (1879). Yet intensive research in the area was not begun until twenty-five years later, when Veraguth and Jung performed the first experiments with word association. During that I)eriod, four other workers made reports, and two of these, Fere and Tarchanoff, did work of fundamental significance. The field has been extensively reviewed (Prideaux, 1920; Landis ct DeWick, 1929; Landis, 1932; McCleary, 1950), but as has been customary, these reviews were directed toward current questions of theory and method rather than the historical development of the ideas which This paper was supported in part by Grant i^RD-2552-S from the Rehabilitafion Services