Extensive empirical research and meta-analyses demonstrate that cardiac autonomic regulation, specifically indexed by heart rate variability and vagal tone, correlates significantly with psychological outcomes such as stress, anxiety, and self-regulation.
The retrieved literature robustly supports the hypothesis that autonomic nervous system metrics like heart rate variability (HRV) and cardiac vagal tone correlate with psychological outcomes, including anxiety, stress, cognitive performance, and emotional regulation. Multiple reviews and meta-analyses (such as those by Thayer, Koenig, and colleagues) provide converging evidence for the neurovisceral integration model and vagal tank theory, linking autonomic markers directly to psychological functioning. There are no papers refuting this core relationship.