Integrative commentary: Implications of blunted reactivity

• Comments on the articles in the special issue of the International Journal of Psychophysiology dealing with blunted cardiovascular and hormonal reactivity.
• Suggests that both lower than expected as well as exaggerated reactivity are associated with negative health outcomes.
• Moderate amounts of reactivity appear to be associated with greater flexibility of both physiological and behavioral responding.

The previous issue of the International Journal of Psychophysiology was a special issue that collected some of the latest emerging evidence on blunted reactivity and its relationships with a variety of negative health outcomes. This commentary on the special issue briefly reviews each of the contributions and then provides some thoughts on the general themes that run through these papers. The findings from the special issue suggest that both lower and higher than expected cardiovascular and neuroendocrine responses to active psychological challenges may be maladaptive and differentially associated with adverse health sequelae.