Cardiac vagal tone demonstrated a quadratic relationship with well-being across 231 adults, where individuals with moderate CVT had higher well-being than those with low or high CVT.
Cross-Sectional (n=231)
Is there a nonlinear relationship between cardiac vagal tone and psychological well-being in adults?
Cardiac vagal tone has a nonlinear, quadratic relationship with psychological well-being, where moderate levels are more adaptive than extreme high or low levels.
Parasympathetic regulation of heart rate through the vagus nerve--often measured as resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia or cardiac vagal tone (CVT)--is a key biological correlate of psychological well-being. However, recent theorizing has suggested that many biological and psychological processes can become maladaptive when they reach extreme levels. This raises the possibility that CVT might not have an unmitigated positive relationship with well-being. In line with this reasoning, across 231 adult participants (Mage = 40.02 years; 52% female), we found that CVT was quadratically related to multiple measures of well-being, including life satisfaction and depressive symptoms. Individuals with moderate CVT had higher well-being than those with low or high CVT. These results provide the first direct evidence of a nonlinear relationship between CVT and well-being, adding to a growing body of research that has suggested some biological processes may cease being adaptive when they reach extreme levels.
Kogan et al. (Mon,) conducted a cross-sectional in Psychological well-being (n=231). Cardiac vagal tone was evaluated on Multiple measures of well-being, including life satisfaction and depressive symptoms. Cardiac vagal tone demonstrated a quadratic relationship with well-being across 231 adults, where individuals with moderate CVT had higher well-being than those with low or high CVT.