Abstract
The Model of Neurovisceral Integration suggests that vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) represents a psychophysiological index of inhibitory control and thus, is associated with emotion regulation capacity. Over the past decade, growing empirical evidence supports this notion, showing that those with higher resting vmHRV can regulate negative emotions more adequately. However, to our knowledge, no study has previously examined how resting vmHRV may relate to everyday perceived difficulties in emotion regulation. The present study attempts to examine such relationship in 183 undergraduate students (98 female, 60 minority, mean Age = 19.34). Resting vmHRV was collected during a 5-min resting baseline period, and everyday difficulties in emotion regulation were assessed using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Controlling for potential covariates (including both trait anxiety and rumination), results revealed a negative relationship between resting vmHRV and DERS such that lower resting vmHRV was associated with greater difficulties in emotional regulation, especially a lack of emotional clarity and impulse control, as indicated by the respective subscales of the DERS. These findings provide further evidence for the Neurovisceral Integration Model, suggesting that emotion regulation and autonomic regulation share neural networks within the brain. Moreover, the present study extends prior research by highlighting two distinct facets of emotion regulation (impulse control and emotional clarity) that should be of particular interest when investigating the link between emotion regulation, resting vmHRV, and related health outcomes including morbidity and mortality.
Highlights
Emotion regulation (ER) is defined as a process by which individuals modify their emotional experiences, expressions, and subsequent physiological responses (Aldao, 2013)
The present investigation shows that resting vagally mediated heart rate variability (HRV) (vmHRV) is related to individuals’ everyday perceptions of difficulties to regulate their emotions, especially difficulties with emotional clarity and impulse control
In order to increase adaptive ER success in those with lower vmHRV, these data suggest that individuals should: (1) work to increase vmHRV, as doing so may increase ER; (2) work to understand and identify negative emotions, so that they have the opportunity to adaptively regulate such distressing emotions and; (3) these individuals should work to inhibit impulsive behavior, as these responses may be undesirable
Summary
Emotion regulation (ER) is defined as a process by which individuals modify their emotional experiences, expressions, and subsequent physiological responses (Aldao, 2013). To better understand psychophysiological mechanisms linking inhibition, ER, and overall health, Thayer and Lane (2000) proposed that the characteristic beat-to-beat variability in the heart rate (HR) time series—heart rate variability (HRV)—serves as an index of healthy heart function (Thayer and Lane, 2007), but as an readily available index and measure of inhibitory control, and ER capacity. Research showed that those with higher vmHRV are better able to suppress unwanted thoughts in comparison to individuals with low vmHRV (Gillie et al, 2014) While this substantial amount of evidence supports the link between vmHRV and ER, studies have not yet directly examined how resting vmHRV may predict individuals’ perceived difficulties in ER, along with the strength of the association between resting HRV and varying facets of ER. Given that little is known about the relationship between vmHRV and different facets of ER, the following investigation attempts to link vmHRV with self-reported ER, but it aims to understand which facets of ER are most strongly associated with vmHRV
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