title: Paradoxical response to an emotional task: trait characteristics and heart-rate dynamics.
abstract: The present study evaluated the heart-rate dynamics of subjects reporting decreased (responders) or paradoxically increased relaxation (nonresponders) at the end of a threatening movie. Heart-rate dynamics were characterized by indices extracted through recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) and detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA). These indices were studied as a function of a few individual characteristics: hypnotizability, gender, absorption, anxiety, and the activity of the behavioral inhibition and activation systems (BIS/BAS). Results showed that (a) the subjective experience of responsiveness is associated with the activity of the behavioral inhibition system and (b) a few RQA and DFA indices are able to capture the influence of cognitive-emotional traits, including hypnotizability, on the responsiveness to the threatening task.
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council , Pisa , Italy.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Balocchi
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varanini
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paoletti
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mecacci
authors.forename: Enrica L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Santarcangelo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006990:Hypnosis; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012063:Relaxation / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult