Cardiac vagal tone is associated with social engagement and self-regulation
Highlights
► CVT was positively associated with engagement coping and social well-being. ► Higher CVT predicted less use of disengagement strategies in regulating negative emotions. ► Higher VT predicted more use of socially adaptive emotion-regulation strategies. ► Higher CVT predicted more reported episodes of negative emotions.
Section snippets
The polyvagal theory (PVT)
The PVT (Porges, 2001, Porges, 2007) provides a framework for understanding the relation between vagal regulation of cardiac activity and adaptive functioning. The proposed involvement of the vagus in self-regulation and social engagement is derived from a model of the evolution of the mammalian autonomic nervous system. It is assumed that humans can switch from defensive to social engagement by inhibition of the more primitive neural structures that control fight, flight, or freezing behavior
The present research
The present studies tested the assumption derived from the PVT (Porges, 2001, Porges, 2007) that vagal regulation is related to adaptive self-regulation, which is characterized by social engagement. We conducted two studies that addressed self-regulation at different levels of specificity (i.e., coping and emotion regulation). In Study 1, we examined the relation between CVT and the self-reported habitual use of coping strategies for the regulation of unspecific distress. In Study 2, we focused
Study 1
The first major aim of Study 1 was to test the hypotheses that high CVT would be positively associated with a higher tendency to habitually employ strategies of engagement coping and a lower tendency to use strategies of disengagement coping. Engagement coping is aimed at dealing with the stressor or the resulting distress and involves active attempts to manage the situation or associated reactions. Seeking social support can be seen as a form of engagement coping. Disengagement coping is aimed
Study 2
In line with Study 1, Study 2 tested associations of CVT with variables that reflect adaptive self-regulation and social engagement. The first aim of Study 2 was to test the hypotheses that high CVT would predict a higher tendency to employ engagement strategies for regulating negative emotions, such as cognitive restructuring and problem solving, and a lower tendency to use strategies of disengagement for regulating negative emotions, such as accepting the present situation as it is and
General discussion
Our two studies showed that young adults with higher baseline CVT show more adaptive self-regulation and are more socially engaged than young adults with lower baseline CVT. More precisely, participants with higher CVT reported using engagement strategies when coping with distress and less disengagement when regulating negative emotions. Furthermore, participants with higher CVT were more socially engaged insofar as they reported seeking social support to deal with distress and sadness. Social
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Now at Psychologisches Institut, Universitaet Mainz, Germany.