The Use of a Compound Unconditioned Stimulus in Electrodermal Audiometry

Abstract

The EDR to a 1,000 Hz tone was conditioned in four groups of 10 normal adult subjects each. A different type of unconditioned stimulus was used in the conditioning of each group: (a) a vibratory stimulus alone, (b) an electric shock alone, (c) simultaneous vibration and shock, and (d) shock or vibration presented randomly an equal number of times. Comparison of frequency and amplitude of the conditioned responses observed during extinction trials in each of the groups indicated that the paired stimuli, whether presented simultaneously or randomly, produced a highly significant increase in responsiveness. It is concluded that the use of a compound unconditioned stimulus in electrodermal audiometry would increase the efficiency of the method.