Sex and menstrual cycle differences in the habituation and spontaneous recovery of the electrodermal orienting reaction

Sex and menstrual cycle differences have been widely observed in electrodermal activity. The aim of this study was to investigate these differences in the electrodermal orienting reaction employing a habituation-spontaneous recovery procedure. According to previous research it was predicted that men and preovulatory women should show higher electrodermal responses, higher skin conductance levels, and slower habituation rates. Thirty-two subjects (16 males and 16 females) were presented with two series of tones, 10 in the first series and eight in the second, with a 4-min rest period between the two series. Half of the subjects received the same 5-sec tone (80 dB, 1000 Hz) in each presentation while the other half received 80-dB, 5-sec tones which varied randomly in frequency (100, 500, 1000 Hz). Women were divided into two groups; preovulatory (n = 7) and postovulatory (n = 8) according to their answers to a retrospective questionnaire. The mean response amplitude was higher in the group of males, who habituated later than females. Postovulatory women showed lower orienting reactions in the first series, and habituated faster than did preovulatory women in the two series. There were neither significant differences between males and females, nor between preovulatory and postovulatory women in tonic conductance levels. These results support the existence of greater electrodermal reactivity in males and in preovulatory women.