3min chapter

192: What to do with the myth of Polyvagal Theory

Your Parenting Mojo - Respectful, research-based parenting ideas to help kids thrive

notes

CHAPTER

Unknowns and Concerns Surrounding Polyvagal Theory in Therapy

Exploring the uncertainties and reservations surrounding the implementation of Polyvagal Theory in therapy, including doubts about indicator clarity, lack of scientific evidence, and concerns about promoting passivity and suppressing anger.

00:00

Transcript

Episode notes

Polyvagal Theory is everywhere these days.

Psychologists talk about it; parenting coaches talk about it; if you’re in

the mental health field you’re probably referring to polyvagal theory in some way. So one would assume that there’s lots of evidence for it, right? Well, maybe. Maybe not.

In this episode I dig into the foundational principles of Polyvagal Theory and find that there's a lot less evidence supporting it than you might think, given how many places it's used.

So what's going on? Is it legit? Should we be using a different theory to understand our experience instead?

But all may not be lost! Maybe there are aspects of the theory that we can still use...the episode suggests a path forward on this.

Taming Your Triggers

Do you often find yourself caught in the whirlwind of your child's challenging behavior?

Are you seeking ways to foster calm and connection in your parenting journey, even during the most trying moments?

Look no further—Taming Your Triggers will help.

If you:

Often feel triggered by your child’s difficult behavior…
Want to find out how to get your child to stop doing the thing that drives you up the wall
Know you want to respond calmly to your child but can’t seem to do it in the moment…
Want to parent with love and connection even on the most stressful days
Feel like gentle parenting techniques won’t ‘work’ with your child

Then Taming Your Triggers is for you. This workshop will empower you with the tools, insights, and support to navigate the ups and downs of parenting with confidence. It helps in all relationships - spouses and parents/in-laws too!

Jump to Highlights

01:26 Introduction to this episode 04:05 Three defining principles of the Polyvagal Theory 09:01 The challenges in reconciling PVT’s popularity with the lack of scientific evidence supporting its core premises 21:09 Dr. Stephen Porges' 1995 paper on Polyvagal Theory (PVT) is examined, including references to Charles Darwin's support, removal of a premise, and disagreements with Dr. Paul Grossman 24:35 Dr. Stephen Porges' 2007 paper on Polyvagal Theory introduces four principles about heart regulation and the vagus nerve's role in social engagement behaviors 32:12 Dr. Doody challenges the assumptions behind Polyvagal Theory 36:34 Experts challenge Polyvagal Theory (PVT) by refuting its foundational premises, raising the need for alternative models and further evidence examination 42:05 Bloggers and experts offer mixed views on Polyvagal Theory (PVT): some argue it can adapt without changing its core, while others label it a myth 45:31 Jen evaluates the usefulness of Polyvagal Theory (PVT) considering evidence both for and against it 48:01 The existence of alternative theories to Polyvagal Theory (PVT) is a key consideration in evaluating its validity 48:35 Polyvagal Theory (PVT) is still debated, with limited evidence both for and against it, and alternative theories lacking strong support. 55:24 The cultural context and alignment between a therapist's explanation and a client's understanding are essential for therapeutic success 01:06:23 Indigenous perspectives emphasize the importance of understanding dynamic systems in place and time, which aligns with Dr. Porges' attempt to examine a broader system in polyvagal theory 01:11:55 The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), based on polyvagal theory (PVT), lacks substantial scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness 01:15:08 Wrapping up

Other episodes referenced:

018: The Spiritual Child: Possibly exaggerated, conclusions uncertain

104: How to help a child to overcome anxiety

113: No Self, No Problem

131: Implicit Bias (Part 1)

132: How implicit bias affect my child (Part 2)

141: The Body Keeps The Score with Dr. Bessel van der Kolk

175: I’ll be me; can you be you?

References:

Agger, I. (2015). Calming the mind: Healing after mass atrocity in Cambodia. Transcultural Psychiatry 52(4), 543-560.

American Museum of Natural History (n.d.). What is a theory? Author. Retrieved from: https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/darwin/evolution-today/what-is-a-theory

Barret, L.D. (2017). How emotions are made: The secret life of the brain. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Barrett, L.D. (2023, March 25). Peripheral physiological changes during emotion. Chapter 1 endnote 26 from How emotions are made: The secret life of the brain. Author. Retrieved from: https://how-emotions-are-made.com/notes/Peripheral_physiological_changes_during_emotion#cite_note-8

Benish, S. G., Quintana, S., & Wampold, B. E. (2011). Culturally adapted psychotherapy and the legitimacy of myth: a direct-comparison meta-analysis. Journal of counseling psychology, 58(3), 279.

Bird, A. (2021). Understanding the replication crisis as a base rate fallacy. The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science. Retrieved from: https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/56560473/Replication-base-rate-fallacy_FINAL-libre.pdf?1526290158=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DUnderstanding_the_Replication_Crisis_as.pdf&Expires=1689372953&Signature=HnUWKVi40YZrjWv4RyYGjB8GSt2wRxNSyYdmUe3wNG~NwYkkbMv0rG0Y~PWotaD7xlq6b9DcfQXnwx1ddLVT7nkmX4teXXs9B7iI16d7JnEKVUAzcVXBOuVajgdMQXR~3y1fq1xNfMUXBE-zsqHNV3bSQdReBEMvuIr-l9pNFs~PiSnAaeUe91b-eYy5QCEzvKrTsGN~R-Y~qfEXb3NecIO6kokPLph9H4w0K7cpvu7x72RoBqBT3yIsQmQ5MAoGDrBFW0FnKZuJVUF1LlHBeSGC1ToTJ03feIhLc9OkJJB8i-s3crTxvN5BFdq9oKh-qRUSMAHRE6zmCG-XQ9jR8w__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA

Brennan, M.A., Emmerling, M.E., & Whelton, W.J. (2014). Emotion-focused group therapy: Addressing self-criticism in the treatment of eating disorders. Counseling & Psychotherapy Research 15(1), 67-75.

Das, A. (2021). Testing the Longitudinal, Bidirectional Relation Between Respiratory Sinus Arrythmia and Perceived Emotion Regulation (Doctoral dissertation, Miami University). Retrieved from: https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_etd/send_file/send?accession=miami161688520539524&disposition=inline

deVries, Y.A., Roest, A.M., Turner, E.H., & de Jonge, P. (2019). Hiding negative trials by pooling them: A secondary analysis of pooled-trials publication bias in FDA-registered antidepressant trials. Psychological Medicine 49, 2020-2026.

Doody, J.S., Burghardt, G., & Dinets, V. (2023). The evolution of sociality and the polyvagal theory. Biological Psychology 180, 108569.

Frank, J. D., & Frank, J. B. (1993). Persuasion and healing. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Grossman, P., & Taylor, E.W. (2007). Toward understanding respiratory sinus arrhythmia: Relations to cardiac vagal tone, evolution and biobehavioral functions. Biological Psychology 74, 263-285.

Ekman, P., Sorenson, E.R., & Friesen, W.V. (1969). Pan-cultural elements in facial displays of emotion. Sicnce, New Series, 164(3875), 86-88.

Ekman, P., & Friesen, E.V. (1971). Constants across cultures in the face and emotion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 17(2), 124-129.

Graziano, P., & Derefinko, K. (2013). Cardiac vagal control and children’s adaptive functioning: A meta-analysis. Biological Psychology 94(1), 22-37.

Hanazawa, H. (2022). Polyvagal Theory and its clinical potential: An overview. Brain Nerve 74(8), 1011-1016.

Harmer, C.J., Duman, R.S., & Cowen, P.J. (2017). How do antidepressants work? New perspectives for refining treatment approaches. Lancet Psychiatry 4(5), 409-418.

Kawai, H., Kishimoto, M., Okahisa, Y., Sakamoto, S., Terada, S., & Takaki, M. (2023). Initial outcomes of the Safe and Sound Protocol on Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Exploratory Plot Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Publich Health 20(6), 4862.

Laborde, S., Moseley, E., & Mertgen, A. (2018). A unifying conceptual framework of factors associated to cardiac vagal tone. Heliyon 4(12), e01002.

Lehrer, P. (2013). How does heart rate variability biofeedback work? Resonance, the baroreflex, and other mechanisms. Biofeedback 41(1), 26-31.

Luck, A. (2022, October 29). Polyvgal Theory: A critical appraisal. Author. Retrieved from: https://alyssaluck.com/polyvagal-theory-a-critical-appraisal/

McCraty, R. (2011). Coherence: Bridging personal, social and global health. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 53(3), 85-102.

Poli, A., Gemignani, A., Soldani, F., & Miccoli, M. (2021). A systematic review of a polyvagal perspective on embodied contemplative practices as promoters of cardiorespiratory coupling and traumatic stress recovery for PTSD and OCD: Research methodologies and state of the art. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18(22), 11778.

Polyvagal Institute (2023, February). Polyvagal Theory: Summary, Premises, and Current Status. Author. Retrieved from: https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org/_files/ugd/8e115b_f8f82f01065b41dc85e7698fd4f99818.pdf?index=true

Porges, S. (2021). Polyvagal Theory: A biobehavioral journey to sociality. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology 7, 100069.

Porges, S.W. (2007). The polyvagal perspective. Biological Psychology 74(2), 116-143.

Porges, S. (1995). Orienting in a defensive world: Mammalian modifications of our evolutionary heritage. A Polyvagal Theory. Psychophysiology 32, 301-318.

Rutherford, B.R., & Roose, S.P. (2013). A model of placebo response in antidepressant clinical trials. The American Journal of Psychiatry 170(7), 723-733.

Shaffer, F., McCraty, R., & Zerr, C.L. (2014). A healthy heart is not a metronome: An integrative review of the heart’s anatomy and heart rate variability. Frontiers in Psychology 5, 1040.

Siegel, E. H., Sands, M. K., Condon, P., Chang, Y., Dy, J., Quigley, K. S., & Barrett, L. F. 2018. "Emotion fingerprints or emotion populations? A meta-analytic investigation of autonomic features of emotion categories." Psychological Bulletin, 144(4), 343-393.

Turner, E. H., Cipriani, A., Furukawa, T. A., Salanti, G., & de Vries, Y. A. (2022). Selective publication of