title: Self-esteem fluctuations and cardiac vagal control in everyday life.
abstract: It has been proposed that self-esteem buffers threat-responding. The same effect is ascribed to the vagus nerve, which is a primary nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system. Consequently, it has been suggested that self-esteem and cardiac vagal tone are interconnected on a trait, as well as on a state, level. In this study, we examined the relationship of vagal cardiac control and self-esteem fluctuations across a single day using ecological momentary assessment. Eighty-four participants were recruited, and self-esteem, negative affect, and vagal tone were recorded throughout a 22-hour period. Men provided higher self-esteem ratings than women, but the negative relationship between self-esteem and negative affect was stronger in women. Moreover, controlling for potential confounds (e.g., age, BMI, depressive symptoms, smoking status, regular physical activity), we observed that for men, self-esteem was significantly positively associated with cardiac vagal tone, whereas for women it was not. These findings suggest that the relationship between self-esteem and vagal innervation of the heart during daily life is sex-specific and might involve different central-autonomic pathways for men and women, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Health Psychology Unit, Karl-Franzens University, Graz, Austria. andreas.schwerdtfeger@uni-graz.at
authors.forename: Andreas R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Schwerdtfeger
authors.forename: Sophie-Marie
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Scheel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000294:innervation*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012649:Self Concept; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult