Estimating time-varying RSA to examine psychophysiological linkage of marital dyads

Kathleen M Gates; Lisa M Gatzke-Kopp; Maria Sandsten; Alysia Y Blandon

doi:10.1111/psyp.12428

Estimating time-varying RSA to examine psychophysiological linkage of marital dyads

Psychophysiology. 2015 Aug;52(8):1059-65. doi: 10.1111/psyp.12428. Epub 2015 Apr 8.

Authors

Kathleen M Gates¹, Lisa M Gatzke-Kopp², Maria Sandsten³, Alysia Y Blandon⁴

Affiliations

¹ Psychology Department, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
² Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA.
³ Department of Mathematical Statistics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
⁴ Psychology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA.

PMID: 25851933
DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12428

Abstract

One of the primary tenets of polyvagal theory dictates that parasympathetic influence on heart rate, often estimated by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), shifts rapidly in response to changing environmental demands. The current standard analytic approach of aggregating RSA estimates across time to arrive at one value fails to capture this dynamic property within individuals. By utilizing recent methodological developments that enable precise RSA estimates at smaller time intervals, we demonstrate the utility of computing time-varying RSA for assessing psychophysiological linkage (or synchrony) in husband-wife dyads using time-locked data collected in a naturalistic setting.

Keywords: Psychophysiological linkage; RSA linkage; Respiratory sinus arrhythmia; Time-varying RSA estimates.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Electrocardiography
Female
Humans
Male
Marriage / psychology*
Parasympathetic Nervous System / physiology*
Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia / physiology*