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Galvanic Skin Response has been reported having correlation with emotion, attention, stress, attitude, empathy, and social interactions etc. The present study was planned to investigate the impact of galvanic skin response on emotional intelligence and psychological well being. The sample for the present study is consisted of 100 criminals (20 murder convict, 20 rape convict, 20 robbery convict, 20 dowry convict, 20 NDPS (Act) convict of the same age range i.e. 25-35 yrs) from Dist. Jail Rohtak and Dist. Jail Bhodsi Haryana were collected by purposive sampling method. The Galvanic Skin Response Biofeedback Monitor, emotional intelligence scale developed by Upinder Dhar et.al.(2001) and P.G.I. General WellBeing Measure by Verma and Verma (1986) was used. The study reveals that there is a significant impact of galvanic skin response on emotional intelligence and psychological well being.
Keywords: galvanic skin response, emotional intelligence and psychological well being
The galvanic skin response is a simple, useful and reproducible method of capturing the autonomic nerve response as a parameter of the sweat gland function Shahani et al. ( 1984). In history GSR is also known as or closely related to, the psychogalvanic reflex (PGR), electrodermal response (EDR), skin conductance response (SCR) and sympathetic skin response. Physically, GSR is a change in the electrical properties of the skin in response to different kinds of stimuli. Any stimulus capable of an arousal effect can evoke the response and the amplitude of the response is more dependent on the surprise effect of the stimulus than on the physical stimulus strength. In measurements changes in the voltage measured from the surface of the skin are recorded (Ranta-aho et al., 2006; Tarvainen et al., 2000). The galvanic skin response measures changes in electrical resistance across two regions of the skin. The lectrical resistance of the skin (which is typically large and varies slowly over time), fluctuates quickly during mental, physical, and emotional arousal. These states of arousal are related to the activation of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system. During a sympathetic response eccrine glands in the skin produce ionic sweat lowering the resistance of the skin and increasing conductivity. The change in conductivity can be used to infer differing arousal states in individuals (Westeyn et al., 2006).
GSR has been reported...