Linking Personality to Psychophysiological Responses: An Experimental Approach in Academic Examinations
Articles > Article · 2026
Authors: İlker Balıkçı, Serdar Tok, Erdal BİNBOĞA, Mert Isbilir
The Online Journal of Recreation and Sports, International, 2026, vol 15, pp 273-278
Summary
This study investigated the relationships among conscientiousness, narcissism, and psychophysiological responses, measured by skin conductance level (SCL), during an academic examination. Thirty sports science students (14 females), with a mean age of 21 years (SD = 2.1), participated. The experiment included four consecutive four-minute phases: baseline, anticipation, challenge, and recovery. During baseline, participants completed personality assessments, and their SCL was recorded. In anticipation, they read a 750-word essay on sports history. The challenge phase consisted of a 15-question test based on the essay, with SCL continuously recorded during both anticipation and challenge. In recovery, SCL was measured after the exam. Correlation and linear regression analyses were used to determine whether conscientiousness and narcissism predicted variation in SCL scores. Results indicated that these traits accounted for a significant proportion of changes during and after the examination.