Abstract

A meta-analysis of 95 studies was conducted to investigate the relations of heart rate (HR) and electrodermal activity (EDA) with aggression, psychopathy, and conduct problems. Analyses revealed a complex constellation of interactive effects, with a failure in some cases of autonomic patterns to generalize across antisocial spectrum behavior constructs. Low resting EDA and low task EDA were associated with psychopathy/sociopathy and conduct problems. However, EDA reactivity was positively associated with aggression and negatively associated with psychopathy/sociopathy. Low resting HR and high HR reactivity were associated with aggression and conduct problems. Physiology-behavior relations varied with age and stimulus valence in several cases. Empirical and clinical implications are discussed. The physiological correlates of antisocial spectrum behaviorincluding aggression, psychopathy, conduct problems, and antisocial personality characteristics-have been the subject of a good deal of theoretical and empirical attention over the past 45 years (see Many different theories of antisocial spectrum behavior that involve autonomic psychophysiology have been proposed HR and EDA are variables of central interest in many theories of physiology and antisocial spectrum behavior and have historically been the most popular measures of psychophysiological response. Thus, the present analysis was limited to these two measures. The heart is subject to influence from the sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PNS) branches of the autonomic nervous system, and it is subject to neuroendocrine influences as well. Chronotropic (i.e., rate-related) cardiac effects are controlled primarily by the PNS, whereas inotropic effects such as contractile force and stroke volume are controlled primarily by the SNS. In contrast, EDA is under exclusive control of the SNS The present meta-analysis focused on three classes of HR and EDA measures: resting, task, and reactivity. Resting measures reflect the assessment of autonomic activity in the absence of any obvious external stimuli. HR and EDA in response to experimental stimuli are frequently measured in raw form during such presentations (task physiology) or expressed as a change from resting, baseline, or prestimulus levels (physiological reactivity). Problems With Interpretation of the Literature Because of frequent nonreplications and theories that make competing predictions, the literature on the psychophysiology of antisocial spectrum behavior is often confusing and seemingly contradictory. The major thesis of this meta-analytic review is that these ambiguities are caused in part by two sources: heterogeneity I would like to thank