Reinforcement of Spontaneous Electrodermal Activity: A Cross-Cultural Study in Japan

A within-subjects experimental design was used to examine the effects of contingent vs noncontingent reinforcement of spontaneous skin potential responses in Japanese subjects and the results were compared with previous data obtained from a comparable sample, of American subjects. The same overall pattern of differentiation between the two conditions of reinforcement was observed in both national groups, contingent reinforcement producing heightened rates of skin potential response relative to noncontingent reinforcement. Compared to the Americans, the Japanese showed more immediate differentiation between contingent and noncontingent reinforcement. The results are discussed in terms of previous crosscultural psychophysiological research.