A review of the literature suggests that self-esteem and cardiac vagal tone may function in parallel to buffer against threat responding and potentially influence each other.
In this article a potential physiological connection to self-esteem is suggested: cardiac vagal tone, the degree of influence on the heart by the vagus, a primary nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system. This hypothesis emerges from parallels between the two literatures that suggest both self-esteem and cardiac vagal tone function to provide protection from threat responding. This article reviews these literatures and evidence and preliminary findings that suggest in some contexts self-esteem and cardiac vagal tone may exert an influence on each other. Last, the article discusses theoretical and applied health implications of this potential physiological connection to self-esteem.
Martens et al. (Tue,) conducted a review in Self-esteem and threat responding. Self-esteem and cardiac vagal tone was evaluated. A review of the literature suggests that self-esteem and cardiac vagal tone may function in parallel to buffer against threat responding and potentially influence each other.