The social engagement system

The social engagement system is the system that governs a person's bonding and their feeling of safety in relationships. Signals such as facial expressions and tone of voice work through this system and allow mutual safety to be established. According to polyvagal theory, this system is closely tied to the ventral vagal state; it fully comes into play only when a person feels safe. The social engagement system is the physiological basis of bonding. People are more open to one another when they feel safe.