Respiratory sinus arrhythmia, emotion, and emotion regulation during social interaction
Open accessAbstract
Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) figures prominently in emotional responding, but its exact role remains unclear. The present study tests two hypotheses: (1) Between‐person differences in resting RSA are related to emotional reactivity, and (2) within‐person changes in RSA are related to regulatory efforts. Pairs of women watched an upsetting film and discussed it. One woman in each of the experimental dyads was asked to either suppress or to reappraise during the conversation. Their partners and both members of the control dyads conversed naturally. Between‐person differences in resting RSA were assessed with paced breathing, and within‐person changes in RSA were calculated from baseline to the conversation accounting for respiration. Women with higher resting RSA experienced and expressed more negative emotion, and women who attempted to regulate their emotions either by suppressing or reappraising showed larger increases in RSA than controls.
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Incidental upregulation of parasympathetic (vagal) activity, indexed by increases in HF-HRV, has been linked to the regulation of attention and emotion, positive social engagement, pro-social emotions such as compassion, and altruistic behaviour.
“Incidental upregulation of parasympathetic (vagal) activity, indexed by increases in HF-HRV, has been linked to the regulation of attention8 and emotion9, positive social engagement10, pro-social emotions, such as compassion11–13, and altruistic behaviour14,15.”
From Voluntary upregulation of heart rate variability through biofeedback is improved by mental contemplative training (2019) · cites this paper as [9]
The effect may play out in many physiological and psychological domains, given that HRV has been implicated in a wide range of outcomes from cardiac health, emotion regulation to altruistic behaviour.
“However, this effect may play out in a lot of different physiological and psychological domains, given that HRV has been implicated in a wide range of outcomes from cardiac health, and emotion regulation to altruistic behaviour9,10,73.”
From Voluntary upregulation of heart rate variability through biofeedback is improved by mental contemplative training (2019) · cites this paper as [9]
Intersubjective mental training may have had additional beneficial effects on deliberate regulation of the vagus, because the vagus is strongly implicated in social interaction.
“As the vagus is strongly implicated in social interaction9,42,69, intersubjective mental training may have had additional beneficial effects on its deliberate regulation.”
From Voluntary upregulation of heart rate variability through biofeedback is improved by mental contemplative training (2019) · cites this paper as [9]
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 [9]
Respiratory sinus arrhythmia reflects parasympathetic modulation and has been associated with emotion regulation.
“Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), calculated from the covariation between respiration and cardiac period, reflects parasympathetic modulation and has been associated with emotion regulation [14].”
From Mapping the Neurophysiological Link Between Voice and Autonomic Function: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as [14]
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Mapping the Neurophysiological Link Between Voice and Autonomic Function: A Scoping Review
Morales-Luque, C., Carrillo-Franco, L., López-González, M. V., González-García, M., & Dawid-Milner, M. S. (2025) · Biology · doi:10.3390/biology14101382 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), calculated from the covariation between respiration and cardiac period, reflects parasympathetic modulation and has been associated with emotion regulation [14].”
- Authors
- Butler, E. A., Wilhelm, F. H., & Gross, J. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Arizona (US)
- University of Basel (CH)
- Stanford University (US)
- Venue
- Psychophysiology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2006-10-11
- Volume
- 43
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 612-622
- ISSN
- 0048-5772 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-8986
- OpenAlex
- W2118095834
- Cited by
- 520
- References
- 15
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 46 · 2019: 45 · 2018: 44 · 2017: 39 · 2016: 30 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 29 · 2013: 33 · 2012: 25
- FWCI
- 7.30
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- Psychophysiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- edoc (University of Basel) (acceptedVersion)
- edoc (University of Basel)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH 58147)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Emotion and Mood Recognition
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Keywords
- respiratory sinus arrhythmia, emotion regulation, emotional reactivity, emotional suppression, emotion reappraisal, social interaction, paced breathing, negative emotions, between-person differences, within-person change, women
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Arrhythmia, Sinus, Data Interpretation, Statistical, Electrocardiography, Emotions, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Mental Recall, Respiratory Mechanics
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