This book gives a comprehensive account on themethodologicalfoundations of psychophysiology and, in particular,differential psychophysiology.In the first part of the book, the nature of psychologicalexplanations, the place of psychophysiology in psychology,notions of situation, personality, and activation,assessment models, and methodological principles aresystematically developed. On the basis of astimulus-responsemediation model both key methodologica terms inpsychophysiology, such as specificity analysis andcovariance partitioning, and measurement models are derived.One specialized measurement model, The Model of AutonomicCardiovascular Activation Components, is extensivelystudied.The second part of the book presentsempiricaldemonstrations of research programs that make considerableuseof the ideas and methods of a differentialpsychophysiology: The analysis ofactivation processes, thecharacterization of laboratory tasks in terms ofcardiovascular activation components, the concept ofsituational arousability within Eysenck's biologicalpersonality therory, and the psychophysiology of anger.Readers are provided with an illustrated and comprehensivetreatment of the methodological foundation ofpsychophysiology. The focus on differential psychophysiologyis new and will make the book valuable to both theresearcher and student of psychophysiology and thedifferential psychologist.
