Cardiac autonomic flexibility is associated with higher emotional intelligence

Abstract

Emotional intelligence influences affect related outcomes, and accounts for the individual differences in efficient emotion regulation. Autonomic Nervous system activity is a major component of emotional response in which the excitatory sympathetic and inhibitory parasympathetic nervous systems interact antagonistically to produce varying degrees of physiological arousal and regulation. This study aimed to explore how cardiac autonomic reactivity to emotion elicitations is related to and can predict trait emotional intelligence of an individual. Fifty-three college students participated in a five-part cardiac recording session, followed by questionnaires on Trait Emotional Intelligence, and a feedback form to indicate emotional arousal. High trait EI individuals had a higher vagal response at rest and lower emotional reactivity in response to film clips measured as change in cardiac autonomic responses from baseline to emotional state. Cardiac autonomic response at baseline and reactivity in emotional state predicted emotional intelligence. Lower emotional reactivity and higher autonomic flexibility are associated with higher emotional intelligence.