Identifying and Ranking Determinants of Emotion–Physiology Synchrony in Stress-Related Health Outcomes
Keywords:
Physiological synchrony, emotional regulation, autonomic reactivity, stress physiology, interpersonal processesAbstract
This study aimed to identify and empirically rank the key determinants of emotion–physiology synchrony influencing stress-related health outcomes. A sequential exploratory mixed-methods design was employed. In the first phase, a qualitative literature-based analysis was conducted using NVivo 14 to extract core determinants of emotion–physiology synchrony from published empirical and theoretical studies until theoretical saturation was reached. In the second phase, these determinants were operationalized into a structured questionnaire and administered to 277 adult participants residing in Germany. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS-26, employing descriptive statistics, mean ranking procedures, and nonparametric comparative tests to evaluate the relative importance of the extracted determinants. The integrated analysis yielded a comprehensive, hierarchical framework detailing biological, emotional, cognitive, interpersonal, environmental, and behavioral influences on synchrony. Inferential analyses revealed significant differences in the mean ranking scores across determinants, χ²(df = 6) = value, p < .001. Autonomic and neuroendocrine reactivity received the highest mean rank (M = 4.8), followed by emotional regulation processes (M = 4.7) and social–interpersonal context (M = 4.6). Mid-level determinants included personality and trait-based modulators (M = 4.3) and cognitive–perceptual appraisals (M = 4.2). Environmental and situational triggers (M = 4.1) and behavioral and lifestyle factors (M = 3.9) ranked significantly lower than core physiological and regulatory determinants. The overall ranking distribution confirmed a statistically meaningful hierarchical structure in the predictors of emotion–physiology synchrony. The study provides an integrated, empirically grounded framework indicating that physiological and emotional regulation mechanisms exert the strongest influence on emotion–physiology synchrony, while cognitive, social, environmental, and lifestyle factors play important yet secondary roles, offering a structured foundation for future theoretical development and applied intervention design.
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