Year: 2012
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This thesis examines the validity of polyvagal theory as a model of normal\nsocio-emotional responding (Porges, 1995, 2001, 2003a). Polyvagal theory makes\nseveral claims, and to date many of its predictions lack empirical testing. In the current\nresearch, five main hypotheses stemming from polyvagal theory were identified and\ntested using healthy participants. The initial empirical study examined the influence of\nlaboratory stressors on autonomic function. The findings revealed that social evaluative\nthreat increases activation of the sympathetic nervous system more than a virtual reality\nmaze, and that arousal remains elevated for longer during anticipation of social\nevaluative threat in comparison to recovery from social evaluative threat. The second\nstudy investigated the effects of emotion regulation strategies on autonomic function,\nand highlighted the effectiveness of two meditation practices in reducing defensive\nphysiological arousal and increasing subjective positive emotion. These studies were\nfollowed with a set of studies designed to evaluate the effects of defensive physiological\narousal on socio-emotional functioning, as a direct test of polyvagal theory. The first\nstudy examined the effects of a laboratory stressor on facial expressivity, revealing that\nsocial evaluative threat had little impact on expressive regulation. A second study\ninvestigated the effects of a laboratory stressor on emotional sensitivity and spontaneous\nfacial mimicry. Some limited support was found for polyvagal theory, although neither\nemotional sensitivity nor facial mimicry was significantly affected by laboratory stress.\nA final empirical study investigated the effects of a laboratory stressor on affiliation\ntendencies. The laboratory stressor did not influence participants’ willingness to spend\ntime with others, however the experiment did reveal significant relationships between\nmarkers of social safeness and affiliation. The overall conclusion of this thesis is that\npolyvagal may not be a representative model of socio-emotional functioning in healthy\nparticipants. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the validity\nof polyvagal theory as a universal model of socio-emotional responding.
Author: Megan Christina Barnsley
Language: English
Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W761039238