Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Psychopathic Traits and Physiological Responses to Aversive Stimuli in Children Aged 9–11 Years

  • Published:
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Atypical eletrodermal and cardiovascular response patterns in psychopathic individuals are thought to be biological indicators of fearless and disinhibition. This study investigated the relationship between psychopathic traits and these autonomic response patterns using a countdown task in 843 children (aged 9–10 years). Heart rate (HR) and non-specific skin conductance responses (NS-SCRs) were recorded while participants anticipated and reacted to 105 dB signaled or un-signaled white-noise bursts. Using multilevel regression models, both larger HR acceleration and fewer NS-SCR were found to be significantly associated with psychopathic traits during anticipation of signaled white-noise bursts. However, two divergent patterns appeared for HR and SCR: (1) larger HR acceleration was specific to the callousness-disinhibition factor of psychopathic traits while reduced NS-SCR was only associated with the manipulative-deceitfulness factor; (2) the negative association between the manipulative-deceitfulness factor and NS-SCR was only found in boys but not in girls. These findings replicated what has been found in psychopathic adults, suggesting that autonomic deficits present in children at risk may predispose them to later psychopathy. The divergent findings across psychopathic facets and sexes raised the possibility of different etiologies underlying psychopathy, which may in turn suggest multiple treatment strategies for boys and girls.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arnett, P. A. (1997). Autonomic responsivity in psychopaths: a critical review and theoretical proposal. Clinical Psychology Review, 17(8), 903–936.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baker, L. A., Barton, M., Lozano, D. I., Raine, A., & Fowler, J. H. (2006). The Southern California Twin Register at the University of Southern California: II. Twin Research and Human Genetics: The Official Journal of The International Society for Twin Studies, 9(6), 933–940.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker, L. A., Jacobson, K. C., Raine, A., Lozano, D. I., & Bezdjian, S. (2007). Genetic and environmental bases of childhood antisocial behavior: a multi-informant twin study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 116(2), 219–235.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beauchaine, T. P., Hong, J., & Marsh, P. (2008). Sex differences in autonomic correlates of conduct problems and aggression. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 47(7), 788–796.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beauchaine, T. P., Katkin, E. S., Strassberg, Z., & Snarr, J. (2001). Disinhibitory psychopathology in male adolescents: discriminating conduct disorder from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder through concurrent assessment of multiple autonomic states. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110(4), 610–624.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bechara, A., Tranel, D., Damasio, H., Adolphs, R., Rockland, C., & Damasio, A. R. (1995). Double dissociation of conditioning and declarative knowledge relative to the amygdala and hippocampus in humans. Science, 269(5227), 1115–1118.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bezdjian, S., Raine, A., Baker, L. A., & Lynam, D. R. (2011). Psychopathic personality in children: genetic and environmental contributions. Psychological Medicine, 41(3), 589–600.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blair, R. J. R. (1999). Responsiveness to distress cues in the child with psychopathic tendencies. Personality and Individual Differences, 27(1), 135–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blom, G. (1958). Statistical estimates and transformed beta-variables. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blonigen, D. M., Hicks, B. M., Krueger, R. F., Patrick, C. J., & Iacono, W. G. (2005). Psychopathic personality traits: heritability and genetic overlap with internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Psychological Medicine, 35(05), 637–648.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, S. R., & Iacono, W. G. (2006). Heritability of P300 amplitude development from adolescence to adulthood. Psychophysiology, 43(5), 470–480.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Farrington, D. P. (2005). The importance of child and adolescent psychopathy. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 33(4), 489–497.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fowles, D. C. (1993). Electrodermal activity and antisocial behavior: Empirical findings and theoretical issues. In J.-C. Roy, W. Boucsein, D. C. Fowles, & J. H. Gruzelier (Eds.), Progress in electrodermal research (pp. 223–237). New York: Plenum Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Frick, P. J., Bodin, S. D., & Barry, C. T. (2000). Psychopathic traits and conduct problems in community and clinic-referred samples of children: further development of the psychopathy screening device. Psychological Assessment, 12(4), 382–393.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frick, P. J., & Hare, R. D. (2001). Antisocial process screening device. Toronto: Multi-Health Systems.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frick, P. J., & White, S. F. (2008). Research review: the importance of callous-unemotional traits for developmental models of aggressive and antisocial behavior. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49(4), 359–375.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fung, M. T., Raine, A., Loeber, R., Lynam, D. R., Steinhauer, S. R., Venables, P. H., et al. (2005). Reduced electrodermal activity in psychopathy-prone adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 114(2), 187–196.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gao, Y., Glenn, A. L., Schug, R. A., Yang, Y., & Raine, A. (2009). The neurobiology of psychopathy: a neurodevelopmental perspective. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 54(12), 813–823.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gao, Y., & Raine, A. (2010). Successful and unsuccessful psychopaths: a neurobiological model. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 28(2), 194–210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, J. R., Benning, S. D., & Patrick, C. J. (2004). Criterion-related validity of the three-factor model of psychopathy. Assessment, 11(1), 4–16.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hare, R. D. (1978). Electrodermal and cardiovascular correlates of psychopathy. In R. D. Hare & D. Schalling (Eds.), Psychopathic behavior: approaches to research (pp. 107–143). Chichester: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hare, R. D. (1982). Psychopathy and physiological activity during anticipation of an aversive stimulus in a distraction paradigm. Psychophysiology, 19(3), 266–271.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hare, R. D. (1991). Manual for the revised psychopathy checklist. Toronto: Multi-Health Systems.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hare, R. D., & Craigen, D. (1974). Psychopathy and physiological activity in a mixed motive game situation. Psychophysiology, 11(2), 197–206.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hare, R. D., Frazelle, J., & Cox, D. N. (1978). Psychopathy and physiological responses to threat of an aversive stimulus. Psychophysiology, 15(2), 165–172.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hare, R. D., & Neumann, C. S. (2006). The PCL-R assessment of psychopathy: Development, structural properties, and new directions. In C. J. Patrick (Ed.), Handbook of psychopathy (pp. 58–88). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herpertz, S. C., Werth, U., Lukas, G., Qunaibi, M., Schuerkens, A., Kunert, H. J., et al. (2001). Emotion in criminal offenders with psychopathy and borderline personality disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 58(8), 737–745.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hicks, B. M., & Patrick, C. J. (2006). Psychopathy and negative emotionality: analyses of suppressor effects reveal distinct relations with emotional distress, fearfulness, and anger-hostility. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 115(2), 276–287.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hugdahl, K. (1995). Psychophysiology: the mind-body perspective. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isen, J., Raine, A., Baker, L., Dawson, M., Bezdjian, S., & Lozano, D. I. (2010). Sex-specific association between psychopathic traits and electrodermal reactivity in children. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 119(1), 216.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kraemer, H. C., Measelle, J. R., Ablow, J. C., Essex, M. J., Boyce, W. T., & Kupfer, D. J. (2003). A new approach to integrating data from multiple informants in psychiatric assessment and research: mixing and matching contexts and perspectives. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 160(9), 1566–1577.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • LaBar, K. S., LeDoux, J. E., Spencer, D. D., & Phelps, E. A. (1995). Impaired fear conditioning following unilateral temporal lobectomy in humans. The Journal of Neuroscience, 15(10), 6846–6855.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lorber, M. F. (2004). Psychophysiology of aggression, psychopathy, and conduct problems: a meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 130(4), 531–552.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lynam, D. R. (1997). Pursuing the psychopath: capturing the fledgling psychopath in a nomological net. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 106(3), 425–438.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McArdle, J. J. (2006). Latent curve analyses of longitudinal twin data using a mixed-effects biometric approach. Twin Research and Human Genetics, 9(3), 343–359.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ogloff, J. R. P., & Wong, S. (1990). Electrodermal and cardiovascular evidence of a coping response in psychopaths. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 17(2), 231–245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patrick, C. J. (1994). Emotion and psychopathy: startling new insights. Psychophysiology, 31(4), 319–330.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Patrick, C. J., & Bernat, E. M. (2010). Neuroscientific foundations of psychopathology. In R. F. K. T. Millon & E. Simonsen (Eds.), Contemporary directions in psychopathology: scientific foundations of the DSM-V and ICD-II (pp. 419–452). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patrick, C. J., Fowles, D. C., & Krueger, R. F. (2009). Triarchic conceptualization of psychopathy: developmental origins of disinhibition, boldness, and meanness. Development and Psychopathology, 21, 913–938.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Patrick, C. J., Hicks, B. M., Nichol, P. E., & Krueger, R. F. (2007). A bifactor approach to modeling the structure of the psychopathy checklist-revised. Journal of Personality Disorders, 21(2), 118–141.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Porges, S. W. (1995). Orienting in a defensive world: mammalian modifications of our evolutionary heritage. A polyvagal theory. Psychophysiology, 32(4), 301–318.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A. (1997). The psychopathology of crime: criminal behavior as a clinical disorder. London: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutherford, M. J., Alterman, A. I., Cacciola, J. S., & Snider, E. C. (1995). Gender differences in diagnosing antisocial personality disorder in methadone patients. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 152(9), 1309–1316.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Somsen, R. J. M., Jennings, J. R., & Van der Molen, M. W. (2004). The cardiac cycle time effect revisited: temporal dynamics of the central vagal modulation of heart rate in human reaction time tasks. Psychophysiology, 41(6), 941–953.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van Beijsterveldt, C. E. M., van Baal, G. C. M., Molenaar, P. C. M., Boomsma, D. I., & de Geus, E. J. C. (2001). Stability of genetic and environmental influences on P300 amplitude: a longitudinal study in adolescent twins. Behavior Genetics, 31(6), 533–543.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Venables, P. H., & Mitchell, D. A. (1996). The effects of age, sex and time of testing on skin conductance activity. Biological Psychology, 43(2), 87–101.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Verona, E., Patrick, C. J., Curtin, J. J., Bradley, M. M., & Lang, P. J. (2004). Psychopathy and physiological response to emotionally evocative sounds. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 113(1), 99–108.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yoon, H. H., Iacono, W. G., Malone, S. M., & McGue, M. (2006). Using the brain P300 response to identify novel phenotypes reflecting genetic vulnerability for adolescent substance misuse. Addictive Behaviors, 31(6), 1067–1087.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants from NIMH to Laura A. Baker (R01 MH58354) and Adrian Raine (K02 MH01114-08). We would like to thank the Southern California Twin Project staff for their assistance in collecting data, and the twins and their families for participation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology (SGM 501), University of Southern California, 3620 S. McClintock Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-1061, USA

    Pan Wang & Laura A. Baker

  2. Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, Brooklyn, USA

    Yu Gao

  3. Departments of Criminology, Psychiatry, and Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA

    Adrian Raine

  4. Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico

    Dora Isabel Lozano

Authors
  1. Pan Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Laura A. Baker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yu Gao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Adrian Raine
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Dora Isabel Lozano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pan Wang.

Appendix

Appendix

Table 4 Mean Heart rate change at each second across the signaled anticipation phase, averaged across three signaled countdown trials
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wang, P., Baker, L.A., Gao, Y. et al. Psychopathic Traits and Physiological Responses to Aversive Stimuli in Children Aged 9–11 Years. J Abnorm Child Psychol 40, 759–769 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-011-9606-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-011-9606-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation