Habituation of the electrodermal response as a function of stimulus similarity

Lists of nonsense syllables varying in inter-item similarity were presented visually to independent groups of female Ss (n = 9) while the electrodermal response was monitored. Groups in which inter-item similarity was low showed a significantly higher frequency of responding throughout the series, F(2, 24) = 12.08, p < 0.01, and a significantly larger mean response to the final stimulus in the series, F(2, 24) = 8.84, p < 0.01. The results were interpreted as support for Sokolov's theory of stimulus coding in habituation