The　pedestrian　movement　in　the　crowds　is　a　paradigmatic　example　of　collective　motion　where　social　interactions　play　an　important　role.　The　psychological　behaviors　of　pedestrians　underlying　crowd　movements　are　usually　based　on　intuitive　assumptions,　and　so　far　a　quantitative　measurement　of　social　repulsive　force　in　pedestrian　movements　has　been　rarely　reported.　In　this　work,　we　perform　different　types　of　human　experiments　in　face-to-face　and　face-to-back　situations　as　well　as　walking,　running　and　blind　conditions　to　indirectly　measure　the　social　repulsive　force　based　on　the　human　physiological　response　to　stress,　i.e.,　the　skin　conductance　response　(SCR).　It　is　demonstrated　that　the　social　repulsive　force　tends　to　increase　with　the　moving　speed　of　participants,　and　is　much　stronger　in　the　face-to-face　orientation　compared　to　that　in　the　face-to-back　orientation.　As　interesting　outcomes,　a　relationship　between　SCR　amplitude　and　interpersonal　distances　is　also　observed,　and　statistical　results　show　that　the　logistic　functional　form　has　a　better　fit　to　the　measurement　data　of　SCR　amplitude　than　the　classical　exponential　function　due　to　the　existence　of　a　diminishing　marginal　utility　in　human　psychology.　Moreover,　the　observed　repulsive　force　coefficients　in　running　experiment　slightly　exceed　those　in　walking　experiment　because　faster　running　speed　will　cause　more　serious　body　conflict,　thereby　leading　to　a　higher　physiological　arousal　level.　Especially,　the　social　repulsive　forces　under　the　condition　of　zero　visibility　only　occur　where　there　is　a　body　contact,　which　are　significantly　higher　than　those　in　walking　and　running　experiments　because　of　the　panic　psychology　and　unexpected　danger　in　a　blind　environment.　These　experimental　findings　are　further　confirmed　by　numerical　simulations　performed　by　solving　a　modified　social　force　model　that　incorporates　logistic　repulsive　forces.　The　simulated　velocity　distributions　in　different　types　of　psychological　situations　all　demonstrate　remarkable　consistence　with　the　experimental　results.　Therefore,　this　work　establishes　a　direct　link　between　behavioral　responses　and　cognitive　effort,　and　gives　new　insights　into　pedestrian　dynamics　from　a　social　psychological　perspective.　©　2019　Elsevier　Ltd