The Polyvagal Theory: phylogenetic contributions to social behavior
Abstract
The scientific legacy of Paul MacLean provides important insights into the neural substrate of adaptive social behavior in mammals. Through his research and visionary conceptualizations, current investigators can legitimately study social behavior from a neurobiological perspective. His research and writings provided three important contributions. First, he emphasized the importance of evolution as an organizing principle that shaped both the structure of the nervous system and the adaptive social behavior. Second, by defining the limbic system, he legitimized the biological perspective in the study of emotion. Third, he recognized the important role of the vagal afferents in the regulation of higher brain structures. The paper will focus on the Polyvagal Theory. The Polyvagal Theory is a new conceptualization of the role of vagus and employs several features that MacLean emphasized including the importance of evolution, limbic structures and vagal afferents. The Polyvagal Theory builds on these early findings by MacLean and focuses on the link between phylogenetic changes in the autonomic nervous system and social behavior. By focusing on the phylogenetic changes in the structure of the vagus and the role that the vagus plays in the neural regulation of visceral state, new insights regarding social behavior emerge. Moreover, by articulating the phylogenetically organized hierarchy of neural circuits, insights into benefits of social behavior become evident as do an understanding of the behavioral and physiological features associated with stress and psychiatric disorders.
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Immobilization or death feigning responses occur when fight or flight is not an option (e.g., under life-threatening circumstances).
“Porges (2011Porges ( , 2003Porges ( , 2001) ) also describes immobilization, or death feigning responses that occur when fight or flight is not an option (e.g., under life-threatening circumstances).”
From A review of the relation between dissociation, memory, executive functioning and social cognition in military members and civilians with neuropsychiatric conditions (2016) · cites this paper as Porges, 2003
The polyvagal theory details three response systems related to the autonomic nervous system, where the vagal complex of the parasympathetic nervous system is divided into two branches, the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) and ventral vagal complex (VVC), that work in concert with the sympathetic nervous system depending on the environmental context.
“Similarly, the polyvagal theory (Porges, 2011(Porges, , 2003(Porges, , 2001) ) details three response systems related to the autonomic nervous system, where the vagal complex of the parasympathetic nervous system is divided into two branches, the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) and ventral vagal complex (VVC) that work in concert with the sympathetic nervous system, depending on the environmental”
From A review of the relation between dissociation, memory, executive functioning and social cognition in military members and civilians with neuropsychiatric conditions (2016) · cites this paper as Porges, 2003
The nucleus ambiguus communicates with the heart and also with laryngeal vocal cord muscles via the recurrent branch of nervus vagus, to the effect that ANS status is audible in human emotional prosody.
“this nucleus not only communicates with the heart but also with laryngeal vocal cord muscles via the recurrent branch of nervus vagus to the effect that ANS status is audible in human emotional prosody (Porges, 2003).”
From Music structure determines heart rate variability of singers (2013) · cites this paper as Porges, 2003
Previous research has established that vagal regulation underpins social engagement, particularly caregiving and altruistic behaviours.
“Previous research has established that vagal regulation underpins social engagement2,20,56, particularly, caregiving and altruistic behaviours14–16.”
From Voluntary upregulation of heart rate variability through biofeedback is improved by mental contemplative training (2019) · cites this paper as [2]
The reduced social sensitivity of AA-carriers may be partially rooted in a relative inability to regulate vagal activity, because relating to others is partially based on vagal regulation.
“Because relating to others is partially based on vagal regulation2,9,15,69,74,75 these two findings may be linked: The reduced social sensitivity of AA-carriers may also be partially rooted in a relative inability to regulate vagal activity.”
From Voluntary upregulation of heart rate variability through biofeedback is improved by mental contemplative training (2019) · cites this paper as [2]
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- Authors
- Porges, S. W.
- Affiliations
- University of Illinois Chicago (US)
- Corresponding author
- Porges, Stephen W.
- ORCID
- Porges, Stephen W.
- Venue
- Physiology & Behavior
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2003-08
- Volume
- 79
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 503-513
- ISSN
- 0031-9384 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2140795841
- Cited by
- 848
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 17 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 102 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 51 · 2021: 53 · 2020: 40 · 2019: 36 · 2018: 43 · 2017: 78 · 2016: 38 · 2015: 58 · 2014: 36 · 2013: 40 · 2012: 38
- FWCI
- 7.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Physiology & Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH 60625, R01MH060625)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Vagus Nerve Stimulation Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Keywords
- polyvagal theory, social behavior, phylogenetic evolution, autonomic nervous system, vagus nerve, limbic system, emotions, vagal afferents, neural circuits, stress, mental illness, mammalian evolution
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Autonomic Nervous System, Biological Evolution, Humans, Models, Neurological, Phylogeny, Social Behavior, Vagus Nerve
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