BIS–BAS sensitivity and cardiac autonomic stress profiles

This study examined the relationship of sensitivities of Gray's behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and behavioral approach system (BAS) to cardiac autonomic stress responses during laboratory tasks among 65 healthy men (n=34) and women (n=31) aged 22–37 years. Carver and White's BIS–BAS scales were used to measure BIS and BAS sensitivities. We measured heart rate (HR), respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and preejection period during mental arithmetic, a reaction time task, and a speech task. Results revealed that BAS sensitivity was related to HR reactivity and parasympathetic withdrawal during the tasks, but was unrelated to baseline levels. BIS sensitivity was unrelated to both reactivity and baseline levels of all measures. Overall, our results suggest that the relationship of the BAS with cardiac reactivity seems to be mediated by the parasympathetic nervous system.