The Pitter-Patter of Temptation

When you're tempted by something, even if it's just some cookies, your heartbeat may reflect your inner struggle. That's the finding of a new study:

A measure of cardiac regulation called "heart rate variability" (HRV) appears to be linked to self regulation.

Theresearchers conducted a two-part study in order to test theirhypothesis. In the first, participants were instructed to fast forthree hours in order to take part in what they believed was a"physiology of food preference" experiment. Participants' HRV wasmonitored while they were presented with a tray of cookies, candyand....carrots. Temptation, in this case, was indicated by giving intothe tastier but decidedly less healthy snack of cookies and candy.

HRV
as it turns out was considerably higher when people were working toresist temptation (eating carrots rather than cookies and chocolate)
than when they were not, suggesting that HRV was mirroring the selfregulation taking place.

So what? A press release doesn't really answer the question except to say that "considering special populations with more serious consequences of selfregulatory failure (say, alcoholics) HRV feedback could be helpful todetermine when those critical relapses in regulation will happen."

Why we give in [press release]