title: Exploring the autonomic correlates of personality.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality and resting heart rate variability (HRV) indices. Healthy volunteers (n=106) completed a 240-item Big Five personality inventory, the state/Trait Anxiety inventory, and a ten minute electrocardiographic recording. Time and frequency domain estimates of HRV were derived from the cardiac time series and related to the Big Five dimensions of personality, to personality types extracted from a cluster analysis, and to Trait Anxiety. Frequency domain measures of HRV (HRV-HF, LF/HF) were associated with specific dimensions of personality, but significance was not noted for the time domain measure (STD-RR). Furthermore, distressed personality types exhibited significantly greater autonomic imbalance (LF/HF) than other personality types. However, significance was not noted for the time domain measure (STD-RR). These results can be explained with reference to a contemporary model of neurovisceral integration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand. Electronic address: daniel.shepherd@aut.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mulgrew
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hautus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology*; D010556:Personality Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D012146:Rest
keywords: Big Five personality model; Heart rate variability; Neurovisceral integration