Databrain LAB
GSR – Electrodermal Activity
The skin as a natural sensor of arousal and stress.
Electrodermal responses at the Databrain LAB
El GSR (Galvanic Skin Response), also known as Electrodermal Activity (EDA), measures changes in the skin's electrical conductivity driven by sweat gland activity. Those changes are regulated by the sympathetic nervous system and involuntarily reflect a person's level of emotional arousal. At Databrain we use GSR to reach what consumers feel beyond what they can consciously express. Every variation in the signal marks a moment of stress, surprise, interest or emotional excitement, turning the skin into a natural sensor of human reactions.
What do we measure with GSR?
Emotional arousalhow intense the reaction to a stimulus is, positive or negative.
Attention and motivationhow physiological arousal relates to interest in a product, ad or experience.
Critical moments in UXspotting points of tension, frustration or excitement.
Response peaks (SCR)the phasic responses — instant conductance spikes — that give away a reaction to a specific stimulus.+ Industry standard
Tonic level (SCL)baseline arousal over time, reflecting the overall state of alertness or calm.+ Industry standard
Amplitude and latencyhow intense and how fast the emotional response to the stimulus is.+ Industry standard
Research applications
Product testingfinding which features drive the strongest emotional arousal.
Sensory researchmeasuring responses to flavors, aromas or textures.
Media and ad testingidentifying which scenes land and which fail to connect.
Digital experiences and UXspotting moments of friction or satisfaction while browsing.
Analysis capabilities
Automatic response detection
Identifies conductance peaks (SCR) automatically, with no manual signal processing, so the focus stays on the insights.Data structured by stimulus
Splits the continuous signal into segments tied to each stimulus and returns clear metrics: averages, peaks and response strength.Live signal monitoring
Watch the recording in real time to catch problems early and secure data quality from the start.Stimulus synchronization
Automatically aligns the signal with video, images and audio, to see exactly what triggered each reaction.Visualization and analysis
Turns a complex signal into clear charts that translate emotional reaction into data-driven decisions.Export and integration
Exports clean data in standard formats (CSV/JSON) to continue the analysis in your own tools.Frequently asked questions
What is electrodermal activity (EDA/GSR)?
Electrodermal activity — also called galvanic skin response or GSR — is the variation in the skin's electrical conductance in response to sweat secretion.
What is galvanic skin response used for?
To measure the level of emotional arousal (arousal) as it shifts in response to the environment. When something is frightening, threatening, pleasurable or emotionally relevant, eccrine sweat gland activity rises, and with it the skin's conductance.
Why measure at the fingers?
Because of the eccrine glands: fingers, palms and soles have a very high density (around 400 per cm²), which makes them ideal measurement sites. Fingers are the most used because they are the least intrusive place to attach electrodes.
Is it invasive or uncomfortable for participants?
No. With the Shimmer two small electrodes go on the fingers; it is painless and lets the person behave naturally throughout the study.
How does GSR differ from EEG or facial coding?
GSR measures the intensity of emotional arousal — how much the body reacts; EEG measures the brain's electrical activity, and facial coding reads facial expressions. Together they tell you how strong the reaction is and what kind it is.
Databrain
Emotion and cognition, in a single reading.
Combined with other biometric metrics (EEG, eye-tracking, facial coding, ECG), GSR strengthens Databrain's integrated view, making it possible to understand how emotion and cognition interact in decision-making. Book a demoContact
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