STARTLE AND ORIENTING REFLEX COMPONENTS MODULATION BY ATTENTION TO TASK AND PERFORMANCE OF MENTAL TEST WITH NOISE FOREGROUND

백색소음하에서 단어암기 및 재인검사 수행시의 경악 및 정향반사 특성 : 스트레스/정서연구에의 시사점

In current study on 8 college students there was examined modulation of eyeblink (as measured by integrated EMG of m.orbicularis oculi) and skin conductance response (SCR) to an acoustic startle probe (85 dB[A] white noise) by attending to task presented in auditory modality (to memorize words for further recognition) and entire performance of the word recognition test. Both eyeblink magnitude and SCR amplitude and rise time to startle probes were modified (larger magnitude of EMG peak, lower amplitude and shorter rise time of SCR) during attending to task as compared to performance on test. Results are interpreted n terms of modification of electrodermal and eyeblink components of startle and orienting reflexes by task characteristics (passive versus active efforts), attentional demands and aversiveness of experimental situation. However, eyeblink startle response manifested potentiation during attending to task, while SCR demonstrated attenuation. There are discussed implications of startle modulatioas a potentially sensitive probe of situational demands in stress research and also are considered prospects for further studies.