Motivation and emotion/Book/2024/Heart rate variability and emotion regulation
How can HRV monitoring be used to regulate emotion?
Overview
editImagine, standing up on a wide stage, the spotlight finding their way swiftly to the middle right where your standing. Your heart is pounding heavily and your palms drenched in sweat. You can feel yourself becoming overcome with stress as your mind goes completely blank. All you can see is a million pairs of eyes staring at you expecting the worst. You had tried everything you could right then to calm the fast rhythms of you heart, from deep breathing to visualising the crowd in front of you in a funny way, however none of this seemed to help.
This is when the monitoring of heart rate variability comes into assist. This book chapter introduces how learning about your heart rate variability can aid to monitor emotion regulation.The ability to be flexible and to respond to complex changes in an environment is important for adaptation to environmental challenges and emotion regulation (Aldao et al., 2015). The responses to such situational demands lead to changes in emotional states and physiological factors such as elevation and reduction to heart rates (Egbuniwe et al., 2023). Heart rate variability (HRV) has been recognised as a useful tool in medical research and psychological investigations and can be considered a transdiagnostic biomarker related with emotion regulation abilities (Franquillo et al., 2021). By learning the variation of your heart rate variability, you can gain an understanding of your emotional states and learn how to regulate it.
The Overview should start with an engaging scenario or case study which illustrates the problem and engages reader interest. Ideally, also include an image (e.g., see Figure 1). Present the scenario in a feature box. The feature box colour can be changed. Imagine the following scenario: A scenario or case study (real or fictional) in a feature box At least 3 dot points outlining the "problem" (i.e., explain the key concepts and importance of the topic) which will be expanded into sentences and paragraphs for the book chapter 3 to 5 focus questions that unpack the topic and address the sub-title in a feature box |
This template provides tips for the topic development exercise. Gradually remove these suggestions as the chapter develops. It is OK to retain some of this template content for the topic development exercise. Also consult the book chapter guidelines.
The Overview is typically consists of one to four paragraphs inbetween the scenario and focus questions. Suggested word count aim for the Overview: 180 to 330 words.
- add case study!
Key Points:
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Focus questions:
Ask open-ended focus questions. For example:
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What is heart rate variability?
edit- The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is studied as a correlate of emotion. A central part of this system is the heart rate variability, referring to a the beat-to-beat change in the heart over time (Quintana & Heathers, 2014).
- Heart rate variability (HRV for short) is a reflection of many physiological factors that modulate the normal rhythm of the heart.
- It reflects the hearts ability to adapt to changing circumstances by detecting and quickly responding to unpredictable stimuli and emotions (Rajendra Acharya et al., 2006).
- HRV reflects much the state of the heart as the state of the brain. There are two theories that demonstrate this: the Polyvagal Theory and the Neurovisceral Integration Model (Ernst, 2017).
Polyvagal theory
edit- The Polyvagal Theory establishes that heart rate variability provides a sensitive marker of ones ability to respond and recognise social cues (Quintana et al., 2012).
- The theory suggests that the physiological state dictates the range of behaviour and psychological experiences. Reduces variability according to the Polyvagal theory represent a fundamental homeostasis mechanism in a pathological state (Ernst, 2017).
Neurovisceral integration model
edit- Proposes that physiological, emotion and cognitive regulation processes are similar to each other in the service of goal-directed behaviour and adapting to changing environments (Grol & De Raedt, 2020).
- Model suggests that HRV is an index of the capacity for the central autonomic network, - which includes the brainstem, hypothalamus and prefrontal cortex - to adjust to environmental demands (Quintana & Heathers, 2014).
- Summarises the relationship between the central nervous system and cardiac activity as indexed by heart rate variability (Thayer, 2009).
What is emotion regulation?
edit- The term 'emotion regulation' is used to describe a person ability to effectively manage and respond to an emotional experience (Rolston & Lloyd-Richardson,n.d).
- It can be defined as the extrinsic and intrinsic processes responsible for monitoring, evaluating and modifying emotional reactions (Fantini-Hauwel et al., 2020).
- Emotions can be recognised based on a physiological signals such as heart rate. With this, it can be aided to predict human emotion (Balbin et al., 2017)
- Examples of emotion regulation include decreasing or increasing either negative or positive emotion.
- However, decreasing negative emotion seems to be the most common (Gross, 2015).
- The process model of emotion regulation consists of 5 regulatory processes by which responses to emotional experiences might be regulated: situation selection, situation modification, attention deployment, cognitive change and response modulation (see Figure 2 and Table 1) (Gurera & Isaacowitz, 2019).
Table 1. Explains Each Process with an Example - Process Model of Emotion Regulation
Process Model of Emotion Regulation | ||
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Process | Description | Example |
Situation Selection | Situation selection involves choosing situations based on their likely emotional impact and may be less cognitively taxing or challenging to implement compared to other strategies for emotion regulation (Webb et al., 2018). | |
Situation Modification | Situation modification strategy entails purposefully changing our circumstances to advantage (Duckworth et al., 2017). | First, warned by the goddess Circe of the fatal allure of the Sirens, whose island he would sail past on his journey home; Odysseus preemptively plugs the ears of his oarsmen so they will be deaf to the their song (Duckworth et al., 2017). edit paragraph |
Attention Deployment
(distraction & concentration) |
Attention deployment is a strategy where individuals regulate feelings by changing focus of attention towards non-emotional aspects of a situation (Nunez et al., 2020) | |
Cognitive Change
(reappraisal) |
Cognitive change involves how one thinks about the current situation to alter how they feel about it (Uusberg et al., 2019). | |
Response Modulation
(suppression |
Response modulation refers to the efforts to modify an emotion after it has been fully generated (Gross et al., 2014) |
Relationship between HRV and emotion regulation
edit- Several studies have identified the correlation between heart rate variability and emotion regulation (Cattaneo et al., 2021).
- The ease with which once can transition between high and low arousal states is dependent on heart rate variability and so emotion regulation critically depends on ones ability to adjust physiological arousal on a momentary basis (Appelhans & Luecken, 2006).
- Flexible autonomic nervous system (ANS) allow for rapid generation or modulation of emotional states in accordance with situational demands (Appelhans & Luecken, 2006).
- Those with high heart rate variability tend to have better emotional well-being in contrast with low heart rate variability (Mather & Thayer, 2019).
- Research indicate emotion regulation and HRV are associated via common brain regions (Thayer et al., 2012).
- Tables
- Use to organise and summarise information
- As with figures, tables should be captioned
- Refer to each table at least once in the main text (e.g., see Table 1)
- Example 3 x 3 tables which could be adapted
Table 1. Descriptive Caption Which Explains The Table and its Relevant to the Text - Johari Window Model
Known to self | Not known to self | |
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Known to others | Open area | Blind spot |
Not known to others | Hidden area | Unknown |
- Quizzes
- Using one or two review questions per major section is usually better than a long quiz at the end
- Quiz conceptual understanding, rather than trivia
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Example simple quiz questions. Choose your answers and click "Submit":
How does heart rate variability monitor for emotion regulation?
edit- The brain and heart are connected via the autonomic nervous system which indirectly influences each others behaviour. The connection of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is part of the autonomic nervous system (ANS )thus emotional experience cause some changes in heart rhythm which can be detected through various methods of biofeedback (Hasnul et al., 2021).
- The individual differences in heart rate variability can serve as an index of an individuals self-regulatory abilities and physiological responses to stressful life events (Carnevali et al., 2018)
- Identifying differences and patterns in HRV can be used to understand the risk and resilience patterns that impact how individuals adapt to stress (Sbarra & Borelli, 2013).
High heart rate and emotion regulation
edit- During physical or psychological stress, activity of the sympathetic nervous system becomes dominant, producing physiological arousal to aid in adapting to the challenge. An increased pulse, or heart rate is characteristic of this arousal (Appelhans & Luecken, 2006).
Low heart rate and emotion regulation
edit- Lower heart rate variability and difficulties in emotion regulation are characteristics of certain psychopathological states (Thayer & Lane, 2007).
- Trait anxiety is associated with both lower heart rate variability and emotion regulation capabilities. These are characteristic of major psychopathological disorders such as major depressive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress (Friedman & Thayer, 1998).
Resting heart rate and emotions
edit- A resting heart rate variability is considered a biomarker of stress resilience and reflects the ability to effectively regulate emotions in a changing environment (Makovac et al., 2022)
Monitoring fluctuations
edit- Biofeedback:
- ECG
- Smart Bracelet
- During our everyday life we are constantly regulation our emotions, but in some cases emotions can take control and then it becomes too difficult to regulate them effectively, for e.g. anxiety, an emotion characterised by tension, worried thoughts and physical changed liked increased heart rate (Costa et al., 2016).
- Among the physiological signals heart rate is the easiest to collect using various devices such as a smart bracelet or electrocardiography etc. Humans can hide emotions and not show up in facial expressions and physical movements, but heart rate can be difficult to control (Chen et al., 2020).
- Biofeedback is valuable because it consistently feeds back relevant information about the current physiological state and reaction evoked by specific stimuli or situations to the individuals (Fredrikson et al., 2014).
- In emotional situation, biofeedback has been used in clinical settings to train individuals to control their heart rate and influence it during later tasks that may cause arousal such as speaking in public (Gatchel & Proctor., 1976).
Conclusion
edit- The Conclusion is arguably the most important section
- Suggested word count: 150 to 330 words
- It should be possible for someone to only read the Overview and the Conclusion and still get a pretty good idea of the problem and what is known based on psychological science
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See also
editProvide internal (wiki) links to the most relevant Wikiversity pages (esp. related motivation and emotion book chapters) and Wikipedia articles. Use these formats:
- Autonomic nervous system (Wikipedia)
- Heart rate variability (Wikipedia)
- Polyvagal theory (Wikipedia)
- Parasympathetic nervous system (Wikipedia)
- Sympathetic nervous system (Wikipedia)
- Electrocardiography (Wikipedia)
- Collaborative authoring using wiki (Wikiversity)
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References
editAppelhans, M. B., & Luecken, J. L. (2006). Heart Rate Variability as an Index of Regulated Emotional Responding. Review of General Psychology, 10(3), 229-240. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.10.3.229
Balbin, R.J., Pinugu, J. N. J., Basco, A. JS., Cabanada, M. B., Gonzales, P, MV., Marasigan, J. CC., & Sejera, M. M. (2017). Development of scientific system for assessment of post-traumatic stress disorder patients using physiological sensors and feature extraction for emotional state analysis. International Conference on Humanoid, Nanotechnology, Information Technology, Communication and Control, Environment and Management. https://doi.org/10.1109/HNICEM.2017.8269424
Cattaneo, L. A., Franquillo, A, C., Grecucci, A., Beccia, L., Caretti, C., & Dadomo, H. (2021). Is Low Heart Rate Variability Associated with Emotional Dysregulation, Psychopathological Dimensions, and Prefrontal Dysfunctions? An Integrative View. Journal of Personalized Medicine, 11(9), 872. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm11090872
Carnevali, L., Koeing, J., Sgoifo, A., & Ottaviani, C. (2018). Autonomic and Brain Morphological Predictors of Stress Resilience. Frontiers in Neurscience, 12, 228. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2018.00228
Chen, W., Yu, Y., Shu, L., Hua, H., Li, Q., Jin, J., & Xu, X. (2020). Wearable Emotion Recognition Using Heart Rate Data from a Smart Bracelet. Sensors (Basel), 20(3), 718. https://doi.org/10.3390/s20030718
Costa, J., Adams, A. T., Jung, A. F., Guimbretiere, F., Choudhury, T. (2016). Emotion Check: Leveraging Bodily Signals and False Feedback to Regulate our Emotions. UBICOMP. https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/2971648.2971752
Duckworth, A. L., Gendler, TS., & Gross, J. J. (2016). Situational Strategies for Self-Control. Perspectives Psychological Science, 11(1), 33-55. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691615623247
Egbuniwe, I., Tupitsa, E., Lloyd, W. K., Puertollano, M., Macdonald, B., Joanknecht, K., Sakaki, M., & van Reekum, CM. (2023). Heart rate variability covaries with amygdala functional connectivity during voluntary emotion regulation. NeuroImage, 274, 2-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120136
Ernst, G. (2017). Heart-Rate Variability–More than Heart Beats?. Frontiers in Public Health, 5(1), 240. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2017.00240
Fantini-Hauwel, C., Battle, E., Gois, C., & Noel, X. (2020). Emotion Regulation Difficulties Are Not Always Associated With Negative Outcomes on Women: The Buffer Effect of HRV. Frontiers in Psychology, 11(697) https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00697
Franquillo, A. C., Grecucci, A., Cattaneo, L. A., Beccia, L., & Dadomo, H. (2021). Psychophysiological perspectives on emotion regulation. Predicting Psychopathological Onset: Early Signs of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, 11(9), 872. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm11090872
Fredrikson, M., Peira, N., & Pourtois, G. (2014). Controlling the emotional heart: Heart rate biofeedback improves cardiac control during emotional reactions. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 91(3), 225-231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2013.12.008
Friedman, B. H., & Thayer, J. F. (1998). Autonomic balance revisited: panic anxiety and heart rate variability. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 44(1), 133-151. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(97)00202-X
Gatchel, R., & Proctor, J. (1976). Physiological Correlates of Learned Helpness in Man. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 85, 27-34. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.85.1.27
Grol, M., & De Raedt, R. (2020). The link between resting heart rate variability and affective flexibility. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioural Neuroscience, 20, 746-756. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-020-00800-w
Gross, J. J. (2015). Emotion Regulation: Current Status and Future Prospects. Psychological Injury, 26(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840X.2014.940781
Gross, J. J., Goldin, P. R., Jazaieri, H. (2014). Social Anxiety (3rd Ed) Academic Press..https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-394427-6.00017-0
- all references not listed (remember to add the rest)
External links
editSee also
edit- Heart rate variability and emotion regulation (Book chapter, 2022)
- Emotional self-regulation (Book chapter, 2013)