Parental psychopathology, age, and race as related to electrodermal activity of children.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether parental psychopathology, age, and race affected electrodermal activity (EDA) and to examine relationships between psychopathology and EDA. Children of hospitalized schizophrenic, manic-depressive, physically ill, and non-ill (non-hospitalized) parents were compared on five factors of EDA and one of body movement. The factors were derived from EDA and movement artifact data recorded during a habituation-conditioning paradigm. Results indicated that parental illness (mental or physical) was not related to EDA, but children of psychotics had more movement during the experimental session than control children. Younger children showed greater responsiveness and more movement than older children. White children had more nonspecific activity than did black children. Significant but low correlations were found between EDA and pathology ratings made on the basis of psychiatric and psychological examinations. If both are prodromal signs of psychiatric illness, then at least within this age range, they appear to be quite different measures of predisposition to psychiatric disorder.