title: BIS-BAS sensitivity and cardiac autonomic stress profiles.
abstract: This study examined the relationship of sensitivities of Gray's behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and behavioral approach system (BAS) to cardiac autonomic stress responses during laboratory tasks among 65 healthy men (n=34) and women (n=31) aged 22-37 years. Carver and White's BIS-BAS scales were used to measure BIS and BAS sensitivities. We measured heart rate (HR), respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and preejection period during mental arithmetic, a reaction time task, and a speech task. Results revealed that BAS sensitivity was related to HR reactivity and parasympathetic withdrawal during the tasks, but was unrelated to baseline levels. BIS sensitivity was unrelated to both reactivity and baseline levels of all measures. Overall, our results suggest that the relationship of the BAS with cardiac reactivity seems to be mediated by the parasympathetic nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Tarja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Heponiemi
authors.forename: Liisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Keltikangas-Järvinen
authors.forename: Joni
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kettunen
authors.forename: Sampsa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Puttonen
authors.forename: Niklas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ravaja
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D002307:Cardiography, Impedance; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology