Psychosomatic Medicine 9:301-309 (1947)
© 1947 American Psychosomatic Society

Preliminary Study of the Significance of Measures of Autonomic Balance

¹ Department of Psychology, The University of California, Los Angeles, California

In order to test the hypothesis that scores of autonomic balance, which are believed to represent the functional interaction of both branches of the autonomic nervous system, are related to emotional and other personal and personal-social behavior, two groups of children 6-13 years of age were selected in terms of extreme autonomic scores and compared for 43 variables. Group P was composed of 10 children with extremely high scores for the autonomic factor, and represents those cases in whom parasympathetic function seems to predominate over sympathetic function. Group S was composed of 10 cases with extremely low scores of autonomic balance and represents those who manifest an apparent predominance of sympathetic autonomic activity.

Although few of the variables showed differences between the two groups which ordinarily would be considered statistically significant, 35 of 42 variables for which predictions were made did show differences in the predicted direction, and differed in such degree that the chances seem very remote that either their magnitude or direction could be accidental. The results are interpreted, therefore, as supporting the general inferences in terms of which the variables were selected and the predictions made concerning direction of differences.

In order to investigate more extensively the variables showing the largest differences, each extreme group was augmented by the addition of 4 cases whose deviation, however, was either not so extreme, or not so certain. These two larger groups, P' and S', were then compared for the 24 variables which had proved most discriminative in the first portion of the study. All 24 of these variables were found to differ in the predicted direction in both studies.

In the second study it was found that Groups P' and S' differed significantly in 8 of the variables. Children with autonomic scores indicative of functional parasympathetic predominance were found to have a lower basal metabolic rate and a more adequate diet; to manifest more emotional inhibition, less emotional excitability, and a lower frequency of activity with less fatigue; and proved to be more patient and neat than those children with autonomic scores indicative of functional predominance of the sympathetic system. It was shown further that both groups differ significantly from the Fels sample population in four variables: Group P' was found to have a lower BMR, to be less fatigable, less suggestible, and more dominant; while Group S' was found to have a lower palmar skin temperature, to have mothers who score as less dominant on the Bernreuter Scale, and to come from homes that are less child-centered and less well coordinated.

It is argued that, although environment can effect a change in scores of autonomic balance, there is evidence for believing that the range and level of variability in autonomic scores is genetically determined. In the main, then, relationships of autonomic balance to behavioral and home environment variables are interpreted as sequelae to basic physiologic patterns.