Inter-individual differences in heart rate variability are associated with inter-individual differences in mind-reading

Alexander Lischke, Daniela Lemke, Jörg Neubert, Alfons O Hamm, Martin Lotze, Alexander Lischke, Daniela Lemke, Jörg Neubert, Alfons O Hamm, Martin Lotze

Abstract

In the present study, we investigated whether inter-individual differences in vagally-mediated cardiac activity (high frequency heart rate variability, HF-HRV) would be associated with inter-individual differences in mind-reading, a specific aspect of social cognition. To this end, we recorded resting state HF-HRV in 49 individuals before they completed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, a test that required the identification of mental states on basis of subtle facial cues. As expected, inter-individual differences in HF-HRV were associated with inter-individual differences in mental state identification: Individuals with high HF-HRV were more accurate in the identification of positive but not negative states than individuals with low HF-HRV. Individuals with high HF-HRV may, thus, be more sensitive to positive states of others, which may increase the likelihood to detect cues that encourage approach and affiliative behavior in social contexts. Inter-individual differences in mental state identification may, thus, explain why individuals with high HF-HRV have been shown to be more successful in initiating and maintaining social relationships than individuals with low HF-HRV.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Correlation between HF-HRV and the difference between the relative percentages of correctly identified positive and negative states in the RMET.

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