Cardiac dynamics during social evaluative feedback: Evidence from intersubject representational similarity analysis
Jinhee Kim1, Meeseung Lee1, Daon Lee1
1School of Psychology, Korea University, Republic of Korea.
Biological Psychology
|May 3, 2026
Summary
Social feedback influences defensive reactions. This study found heart rate patterns reveal individual differences in self-protection, linking cardiac activity to behavioral biases in social evaluations.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Physiology
Background:
- Social evaluative feedback often triggers individual defensive responses.
- Understanding the psychophysiological mechanisms behind these variable responses is crucial.
- Self-protective behaviors in social contexts require investigation into their physiological underpinnings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cardiac correlates of defensive responses to social feedback.
- To explore how heart activity variability relates to individual differences in self-protective behavior.
- To elucidate the physiological basis of self-protective bias in social interactions.
Main Methods:
- A mobile-based artwork evaluation task was used with continuous cardiac monitoring via photoplethysmography (smartwatch).
- Participants received positive, negative, or neutral feedback and then evaluated partner artwork.
- Temporal intersubject representational similarity analysis (IS-RSA) analyzed cardiac activity patterns and behavioral data.
Main Results:
- Social feedback significantly impacted subsequent artwork evaluations.
- Negative feedback led to transient heart rate deceleration, linked to lower resting heart rate variability.
- Greater cardiac similarity post-feedback correlated with favorable judgments after positive feedback, indicating bias.
Conclusions:
- Individual psychophysiological variability plays a key role in social self-protection.
- Heart rate dynamics during social feedback reflect self-protective behavioral biases.
- This study clarifies the physiological basis of defensive reactions in social evaluations.
Keywords:
Behavioral biasCardiac decelerationHeart rate variabilityIntersubject representational similarity analysisSocial feedbackMore Related Videos
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