Meaning in Life: Cardiac-Vagal and Time-Varying Properties During Rest, Stress, and Mindfulness

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dc.contributor.advisorRitvo, Paul G.
dc.contributor.authorDang, Kevin
dc.date.accessioned2021-11-15T15:27:23Z
dc.date.available2021-11-15T15:27:23Z
dc.date.copyright2021-07
dc.date.issued2021-11-15
dc.date.updated2021-11-15T15:27:23Z
dc.degree.disciplineKinesiology & Health Science
dc.degree.levelMaster's
dc.degree.nameMSc - Master of Science
dc.description.abstractBackground. Higher meaning in life (MIL) consistently predicts better health, but the physiological processes underlying this relationship are not well understood. Additionally, while MIL is theoretically supported as a state variable, few studies have investigated its state-like variability. Method. This study examined the relationship between MIL and vagally-mediated heart rate variability (VmHRV) under resting (N = 77), stressor (n = 73), and mindfulness intervention (n = 72) conditions. As a secondary question, this study investigated the modifiability of state MIL via experimental exposure. Regression was used for MIL-VmHRV analyses at baseline, and longitudinal mixed models were used to examine phasic changes in (a) VmHRV as a function of MIL and (b) state MIL. Results. Regression analyses revealed a quadratic baseline MIL-VmHRV relationship, and mixed models linked higher MIL to greater stress-reactivity but not enhanced stress-attenuation. MIL and MM did not interact to influence VmHRV recovery after experimental stress. State MIL was lower after stress relative to baseline, higher after intervention relative to stress, and higher after intervention relative to baseline. Conclusion. Findings suggest that cardiac vagal tone and cardiac vagal reactivity are linked to MIL, and that MIL fluctuates even within brief timeframes. Future research is needed to further clarify the physiology of MIL and the extent to which brief interventions can influence life meaning.
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10315/38702
dc.languageen
dc.rightsAuthor owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests.
dc.subjectMental health
dc.subject.keywordsMeaning in life
dc.subject.keywordsEudaimonia
dc.subject.keywordsPurpose in life
dc.subject.keywordspsychological well-being
dc.subject.keywordsHheart rate variability
dc.subject.keywordsHRV
dc.subject.keywordsRMSSD
dc.subject.keywordsHF-HRV
dc.subject.keywordsCardiac vagal reactivity
dc.subject.keywordsCardiac vagal tone
dc.subject.keywordsStress
dc.subject.keywordsStress reactivity
dc.subject.keywordsStress recovery
dc.subject.keywordsSelf-regulation
dc.subject.keywordsAutonomic balance
dc.subject.keywordsAutonomic nervous system
dc.subject.keywordsParasympathetic nervous system
dc.subject.keywordsSympathetic nervous system
dc.subject.keywordsNeurovisceral integration model
dc.subject.keywordsPolyvagal theory
dc.subject.keywordsMindfulness
dc.subject.keywordsMeditation
dc.subject.keywordsRelaxation
dc.subject.keywordsQuadratic
dc.subject.keywordsNon-linear
dc.subject.keywordsMixed effects models
dc.subject.keywordsLongitudinal mixed models
dc.subject.keywordsState variables
dc.subject.keywordsMindfulness-to-meaning theory
dc.subject.keywordsHealth psychology
dc.subject.keywordsPsychophysiology
dc.titleMeaning in Life: Cardiac-Vagal and Time-Varying Properties During Rest, Stress, and Mindfulness
dc.typeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation

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