Autonomic nervous system (autonomic) balance as a natural premise of mental self-regulation

Abstract

Relationships between components of autonomic nervous system reactivity, features of temperament and style peculiarities of conscious self-regulation of behavior in different age groups were investigated. Autonomic nervous system (autonomic) balance, temperament and conscious self-regulation of behavior are considered within system approach as different levels of an integrated (neurophysiological, psychophysiological and psychical) hierarchic self-regulation system which is developed in ontogeny and has different characteristics at each age. 513 subjects divided into three groups (223 adolescents, 148 people of young age and 142 people of middle age) were studied. Neurophysiological components of self-regulation system are shown to determine particularities of social contacts, regulatory processes of operational condition modeling and behavior programming regardless of age. As far as self-regulation system develops with age the amount of relationships between different (neurophysiological, psychophysiological and psychical) level components increases, the relations become more multivalued and their structure changes.