PSYCHO-CARDIAC DISTRESS SYMPTOMS OF DYADIC COMMUNICATION APPREHENSION & THE ROLE OF SELF-ESTEEM

This study examined the extent to which dyadic communication apprehension (CA) manifested in heart-rate (HR; index of sympathetic activity) and heart-rate variability (HRV; index of parasympathetic [vagal] activity) during dyadic interaction and explored the inhibiting role of self-esteem for dyadic-communication distress through two explanatory frameworks: A moderation and an indirect effect. Participants first completed self-report measures for dyadic CA and self-esteem. Their cardiac activity was then monitored in a noncommunicative period and then while engaging in impromptu dyadic communication. Results indicated that during interaction, higher dyadic CA manifests strongly in higher HR and lower HRV. Dyadic CA manifested in HR independently of HRV differences, suggesting dyadic CA prompts substantial cardiac acceleration through sympathetic influences given that this effect is not dependent on vagal activity. Dyadic CA also manifested in lower HRV independently of HR differences, substantiating the direct impact that dyadic CA has on vagally mediated cardiac dysregulation. Together, these results suggested that dyadic CA induces psycho-cardiac distress two ways, prompting arousal via sympathetic input and dysregulation via parasympathetic withdrawal. Regarding self-esteem, there was tentative evidence of a moderating effect for the impact of dyadic CA on HR, but not on HRV. Tests of indirect effects showed significant evidence of its inhibitory influence on both distress symptoms via dyadic CA. Findings are interpreted in the context of arousal and emotion regulation when navigating one-on-one conversations.