This study examined the relationship between high frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV), a marker of vagal activity, and cooperation in a chicken game. 44 participants had their HF-HRV measured at rest and then played the chicken game under different motivation conditions against a virtual opponent. The researchers found a significant positive linear relationship between HF-HRV and cooperation levels, such that higher HF-HRV was associated with more cooperation. Contrary to hypotheses, the relationship did not depend on the motivation condition. This suggests that greater vagal flexibility, as indexed by HF-HRV, may facilitate prosocial behaviors like cooperation.

1. Analysis
&
Results
Method
&
Hypothesis
Conclusions
High frequency heart rate variability is posi=vely associated with coopera=on in a chicken game
Brice Beffara1,2,3,4, Amélie Bret1,2, Amélie Baldini1,2, Nicolas Vermeulen3,4, Mar=al Memillod1,2
1Univ. Grenoble Alpes, France 2CNRS, France 3Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium 4FNRS, Belgium
Overview
ü The polyvagal theory proposes that vagal ac=vity underlie pro-­‐social behaviors
Porges, 1995, 2001, 2007, 2011
ü High Frequency Heart Rate Variability (HF-­‐HRV) is a non-­‐invasive marker of vagal
ac=vity Akselrod et al., 1981
ü HF-­‐HRV is associated with socio-­‐emo=onal skills thought to underlie pro-­‐social
behaviors Quintana et al., 2012
ü Some works inves=gated the link between vagal ac=vity (flexibility) and self-­‐
reported pro-­‐sociality but never with a behavioral measure of pro-­‐sociality Egizio,
2008; Muhtadie, 2014
ü So far, the link between vagal ac=vity and pro-­‐social behaviors has not been
established yet in healthy adults Kogan et al., 2014
ü Coopera=on is a pro-­‐social behavior and can be assessed in social dilemmas Keltner,
2014
ü We used the chicken game in order to measure coopera=on Rapoport & Chammah, 1966
ü We measured the res=ng state HF-­‐HRV baseline during 5 minutes before the
chicken game (against a virtual confederate, 12 trials)
ü Ques=onnaires allowed to control for confounded factors influencing HF-­‐HRV
ü Two condi=ons were included in the chicken game: intrinsic mo=va=on to
cooperate (low sanc=on to compe==on) or extrinsic mo=va=on (high sanc=on to
compe==on) Edmonds et al., 2011
ü HF-­‐HRV should be posi=vely associated with coopera=on, and more strongly in
the intrinsic mo=va=on condi=on
ü We used a logis=c mixed model analysis with par=cipants (N=44) and outcome
values as random factors
ü HF-­‐HRV (adjusted for confounded variables) and mo=va=on were independent
variables
ü Coopera=on was the (binary) dependent variable
ü In line with our hypothesis, vagal ac=vity, indexed by HF-­‐HRV was posi=vely
and linearly associated with coopera=on, a behavioral measure of pro-­‐
sociality.
ü Contrary to our hypothesis, the link between HF-­‐HRV and coopera=on was
not dependent on mo=va=on
ü Further studies are needed in order to confirm whether the link is linear or
quadra=c Kogan et al. 2014
ü We highlighted a correla=on but it is now important to test the influence of
vagal ac=vity on coopera=on in a causal design
Keltner, D., Kogan, A., Piff, P. K., & Saturn, S. R. (2014). The sociocultural appraisals,
values, and emo=ons (SAVE) framework of prosociality: core processes
from gene to meme. Annual Review of Psychology, 65, 425–60. doi:
10.1146/annurev-­‐psych-­‐010213-­‐115054
Kogan, A., Oveis, C., Carr, E., & Gruber, J. (2014). Vagal Ac=vity Is Quadra=cally Related to Prosocial Traits, Prosocial Emo=ons, and Observer Percep=ons of
Prosociality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 107(6), 1051–1063.
Muhtadie, L., Koslov, K., Akinola, M., & Mendes, W. B. (2015). Vagal flexibility: A physiological predictor of social sensi=vity. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 109(1), 106–120. doi:10.1037/pspp0000016
Porges, S. W. (2007). The polyvagal perspec=ve. Biological Psychology, 74(2), 116–43. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.06.009
Quintana, D. S., Guastella, A. J., Outhred, T., Hickie, I. B., & Kemp, A. H. (2012). Heart rate variability is associated with emo=on recogni=on : Direct evidence
for a rela=onship between the autonomic nervous system and social cogni=on. Interna=onal Journal of Psychophysiology, 86(2), 168–172. doi:10.1016/
j.ijpsycho.2012.08.012
Contact: brice.beffara@gmail.com
This work was funded by the Ins4tut Universitaire de France and the Pôle
Grenoble Cogni4on
Coopera=on level as a func=on of HF-­‐HRV and induced mo=va=on
Schema=c representa=on of a matrix composing the Chicken Game
[Video
of
the
virtual
confederate]
The
choice
of
the
other
person
The
choice
of
the
other
person
Your
choice
0.32
/
0.32
0.20
/
0.44
Your
choice
0.44
/
0.20
0.12
/
0.12
ü We found a significant main effect of HF-­‐HRV on coopera=on z = 2.43, p= .02
ü The was no effect of mo=va=on and no interac=on effect, respec=vely z = -­‐1.62, p=.10
and z = -­‐0.69, p=.49