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The skin’s electrical properties can reveal what we’re feeling
Dec. 02, 2024.
2 mins. read.
8 Interactions
Researchers have found that differences in human emotions are evident in skin conductance response waveforms.
About the Writer
Researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University are exploring how our skin’s electrical properties can reveal what we’re feeling.
The skin changes how it conducts electricity based on how much we sweat, which happens quickly when we feel emotions. The researchers conducted an experiment where volunteers watched different types of videos – scary, emotional (family bonding), and funny – while their skin was measured for changes in conductance.
The researchers describe the method and results of this study in a paper published in IEEE Access.
Every video had specific moments meant to trigger emotions. The scientists noticed that the skin’s response to fear took the longest to return to normal. This might be because our bodies are wired to hold onto fear longer for survival reasons.
When volunteers watched family bonding scenes, which likely mixed feelings of sadness and happiness, the skin’s response was slower. This might be because these mixed emotions interfered with each other.
By looking at how fast the skin’s conductance changed and how it returned to baseline after each emotional peak, the researchers found patterns.
They could tell, for instance, if someone was scared or feeling connected with family, though not perfectly.
New technology to sense emotions
This means that by studying the ‘dynamics’ or the way the skin conductance changes over time, scientists might predict what emotion someone is experiencing.
The results “indicate that some of the differences in human emotions are evident in skin conductance response waveforms,” reads the conclusion of the paper. “The results of this study are expected to contribute to the development of technologies that can be used to accurately estimate emotions, when combined with other physiological signals.”
This could lead to future tech like phones or wearables that respond to your mood. However, they’re not there yet; this research just suggests it’s possible to understand emotions better by looking at these signals, moving us away from relying only on facial expressions, which aren’t always available or accurate.
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3 Comments
3 thoughts on “The skin’s electrical properties can reveal what we’re feeling”
This article will require a deeper dive on my part. The conclusion in the actual study about "emotions" , in relation to skin conduction raises a question of what are emotions? Another study I recall dimly was regarding the mind in relation to emotions and the "gut instinct" . Perhaps the skin as an organ is more connected to the deep mind than is understood, currently. Are emotions emitting other subtle electrical signals in addition to conductivity changes via sweat?
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he ability to sense emotions through skin conductance could be a game-changer for mental health, providing insights into stress or emotional well-being in real time
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Not if you have to go to a lab to measure skin conductance. Also, one usually knows his own current emotions pretty well, it is other people that don't. I guess sooner or later we'll have remote emotion detectors (there are already body/face language readers that work, more or less), but it may take a little while.
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