Effects of Stimulus Incongruity, Task Demand, and Induced Involvement on Amplitude of GSR

Previous investigations into the arousing effects of incongruity have not only reported inconsistent findings but have displayed the limitation of using only two levels of incongruity. An experiment using four levels of incongruity confirmed the hypothesized positive linear function between incongruity and arousal (as measured by GSR amplitude). However, the results of two additional experiments confirmed the hypothesis that the marked arousing effects of incongruity were attributable at least in part to the demands of the task employed which included subjects having to choose and verbally commit themselves to one of the alternatives. The interaction between incongruity and degree of involvement engendered by the task demand suggests that involvement may facilitate the arousing effects of additional collative variables such as novelty, uncertainty, and complexity.

Psychological Stress as a Determinant of Cognitive Complexity

In an exploratory study of the situational generality of cognitive complexity (CC), Ss were administered a modification of Kelly's Role Construct Repertory Test under non-stress or stress instructions. The social role-figures on the complexity measure were also divided into socially close and distant subgroups. The results supported previous research indicating greater CC toward distant persons, perhaps a result of the perceiver's vigilant stance toward such individuals. However, Ss were generally less complex under stressful task instructions, possibly a manifestation of a decrease in tolerance for stimulus incongruity. Stress thus appears to be a relevant contextual as well as stimulus dimension with respect to CC.