Tarchanoff phenomenon
Noun: A specific psychophysiological response where the electrical properties of the skin change in reaction to psychological stress or anxiety. This phenomenon is a component of the autonomic nervous system's reaction and can be quantified by measuring either the skin's electrical resistance or the weak electrical currents produced by the body itself.
This term is used in specialized contexts such as psychology, psychophysiology, and lie detection research. It describes a measurable, involuntary bodily reaction.
Examples: * The researcher studied the Tarchanoff phenomenon to understand the body's autonomic responses to emotional stimuli. * Changes in skin conductance, part of the Tarchanoff phenomenon, are monitored in some polygraph tests. * His thesis focused on the correlation between the amplitude of the Tarchanoff phenomenon and reported anxiety levels.
- The term is often used interchangeably with concepts like electrodermal activity (EDA) or galvanic skin response (GSR), though these are broader or slightly different technical terms. The Tarchanoff phenomenon specifically refers to the potential changes (voltage) measured, while GSR often refers to resistance changes.
- It is frequently discussed in the context of biofeedback therapy, where individuals learn to control such autonomic responses.
- Electrodermal Activity (EDA): The broader umbrella term for all electrical phenomena in the skin, including the Tarchanoff phenomenon.
- Galvanic Skin Response (GSR): A common term often used synonymously, though technically it may refer specifically to changes in skin resistance.
- Psychogalvanic Reflex: An older, synonymous term.
- Skin Conductance Response (SCR): A more modern term focusing on the conductive property of the skin.
- Electrodermal response
- Psychogalvanic response
- Skin potential response (when specifically referring to the voltage measurement method)
This term has a single, highly specific meaning within scientific and medical literature. It does not have common idiomatic or figurative uses. It is named after the Russian physiologist Ivan Tarchanoff (Tarkhanov) who first described it.
- a change in the electrical properties of the skin in response to stress or anxiety; can be measured either by recording the electrical resistance of the skin or by recording weak currents generated by the body