Dead Science in Live Psychology: A Case Study from Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

Psychological theories often build from theoretically separate fields in the biosciences – physiology, biology, neuroscience, etc. – to situate human behavior within the body. However, these are increasingly sophisticated areas of research which rapidly change and adapt their evidence base. The current paper is a case study examining what happens to psychological research when its foundational biological context is invalidated or superseded. The example we use is heart rate variability (HRV) as a purported measure of cardiac sympathetic outflow. While objections to this technique within physiological research have been established and confirmed for decades, its false status continues to be maintained in applied psychological research. We review a combination of factors within scientific and publishing practice, practical and conceptual barriers to experimental interface, and personal/professional value of the invalidated theory in attempt to understand how dead science can be kept alive in psychological science.