| Abstract: | Two experiments were designed to investigate the effect of below-zero habituation training on skin conductance response (SCR) amplitude to a change in auditory stimulus frequency. In both experiments, subjects were trained with a 1000 Hz tone until zero responding and then received 5, 10, or IS further training trials. In Experiment 1 (N=45), subjects then received 1 presentation of a test stimulus of 1400 Hz, while in Experiment 2 (N=45), the test stimulus was a tone of 670 Hz. On the basis of dual-process theory, it was hypothesized that response amplitude to the test stimulus would be inversely related to amount of below-zero training. However, the results of both experiments indicate that SCR amplitude was positively related to amount of below-zero training. These results suggest that in situations of extended habituation training, an expectancy or subjective probability of stimulus occurrence gradient is important in determining response amplitude to a test stimulus. |
