What limitation does Electrodermal Activity (EDA) possess compared to sweat analysis for reliable stress detection?

EDA cannot easily differentiate between physical exertion and psychological stress.

Electrodermal Activity (EDA) functions by measuring generalized skin conductance, which is a recognized sign of autonomic arousal. While EDA is effective at detecting sudden changes indicating activation of the sympathetic nervous system, its primary limitation is its lack of specificity. Both intense physical activity, such as exercise, and significant psychological stress trigger an increase in skin conductance. In contrast, analyzing sweat allows scientists to potentially measure specific chemical markers like cortisol, which offers a potentially more specific window into the body's hormonal stress pathway, thus overcoming the ambiguity inherent in purely electrical arousal signals.