Skip to main content

Biosocial Bases of Aggressive Behavior in Childhood

Resting Heart Rate, Skin Conductance Orienting, and Physique

  • Chapter
Biosocial Bases of Violence

Part of the book series: Nato ASI Series ((NSSA,volume 292))

Abstract

This chapter aims to follow up some of the biosocial issues outlined in Chapter 1, and attempt an initial answer to some of the questions posed by the biosocial model developed in that chapter. In doing so, new results will be presented from the Mauritius study, a longitudinal psychophysiological study of child and adult psychopathology conducted on the island of Mauritius. A specific focus will be placed on two main risk factors for antisocial behavior which have been pursued by the first author over the past two decades, namely, low resting heart rate, and reduced electrodermal orienting. The longitudinal approach will be emphasized in this chapter because it is felt that clearer answers to the questions posed in chapter 1 will emerge from prospective studies. In particular, this chapter is concerned with links between psychophysiological and social measures taken at age 3, and aggressive behavior measured at age 11 years in a large sample of 1,795 males and females, Indian and Creole participants. Interactions with temperament will also be explored because this construct has been linked with both autonomic activity (Scarpa et al., 1996; Kagan, 1988; Kagan et al. 1989) and aggression (Caspi et al. 1995; Caspi and Silva, in press).

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

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Achenbach T.M. and Edelbrock C.S. (1979) The Child Behavior Profile: II. Boys aged 12–16 and girls aged 6–11 and 12–16. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 47 223–233.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baker, L.A., Reynolds, C., and Phelps, E. (1992). Biometric analysis of individual growth curves. Behavior Genetics 22 253–264.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brennan, P., Raine, A., Venables, P.H. and Mednick, S.A. (1994). Psychophysiological protective factors for children at high risk for antisocial outcome. Psychophysiology 31 30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchsbaum, M.S., and Reider, R.O. (1979). Biologic heterogeneity and psychiatry research. Archives of General Psychiatry 36 1163–1169.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Buikhuisen, W., Bontekoe, E.H.M., Plas-Korenhoff, C. D. and S. Buuren (1985). Characteristics of criminals: The privileged offender. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry 7 301–313.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cannon, T.D., Raine, A., Herman, T.M., Mednick, S.A., Schulsinger, F. and Moore, M. ( 1992). Third ventricle enlargement and lower heart rate levels in a high risk sample. Psychophysiology 29 294–301.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Caspi, A. Henry, B., McGee, R.O., Moffitt, T.E. and Silva, P.A. (1995). Temperamental origins of child and adolescent behavior problems: From age three to age fifteen. Child Development 66 55–68.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Caspi, A. And Silva, P.A. (in press). Temperamental qualities at age 3 predict personality traits in young adulthood: Longitudinal evidence from a birth cohort. Child Development

    Google Scholar 

  • Cox, D., Hallam, R., O’Connor, K. and Rachman, S. (1983). An experimental study of fearlessness and courage. British Journal of Psychology 74 107–117.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, M.E. (1990). Psychophysiology at the interface of clinical science, cognitive science, and neuroscience: Presidential address, 1989. Psychophysiology 27 243–255.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, M.E., Schell, A.M. and Filion, D. (1991). The electrodermal system. In J.T., Cacioppo, L.G. Tassinary, and A. Fridlund (Eds). Principles of psychophysiology: Physical, social and inferential elements. (pp. 295–324). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eysenck, H.J (1964). Crime and personality (1st ed.) London: Methuen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eysenck, H.J. (1977). Crime and personality (3rd. ed.). St. Albans: Paladin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eysenck, H.J. and Gudjonsson, G. H. (1989). The causes and cures of criminality. New York: Plenum.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Farrington, D.P. (1987). Implications of biological findings for criminological research. In S.A. Mednick, T.E. Moffitt, & S.A. Stack (Eds.), The causes of crime: New biological approaches (pp. 42–64). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Fowles, D.C. (1993). Electrodermal activity and antisocial behavior. In J.C. Roy, W. Boucsein, D.C. Fowles and J. Gruzelier (Eds). Electrodermal activity: From physiology to psychology. New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gottman, J.M. and Katz, L.F. (1989). Effects of marital discord on young children’s peer interaction and health. Developmental Psychology 25 373–381.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hazlett, E., Dawson, M., Buchsbaum, M.S., and Nuechterlein, K. (1993). Reduced regional brain glucose metabolism assessed by PET in electrodermal nonresponder schizophrenics: A pilot study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 102 39–46.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hemming, J.H. (1981). Electrodermal indices in a selected prison sample and students. Personality and Individual Differences 2 37–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kagan, J. (989). Temperamental contributions to social behavior. American Psychologist 44 668–674.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kandel, E., Mednick, S.A., Kirkegaard-Sorensen, L. and Hutchings, B. (1988). IQ as a protective factor for subjects at high risk for antisocial behavior. Journal of Consulting and Clinical psychology 56 224–226.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McBurnett, K. and Lahey, B.B. (1994). Biological correlates of conduct disorder and antisocial behavior in children and adolescents. In D.C. Fowles (Ed.). Progress in experimental personality and psychopathology research. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maliphant, R., Hume, F., and Furnham, A. (1990). Autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, personality characteristics and disruptive behavior in girls. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 31 619–628.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McMillan, T.M. and Rachman S-J. (1987). Fearlessness and courage: A laboratory study of paratrooper veterans of the Falklands War. British Journal of Psychology, 1987 78 375–383.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor, K., Hallam, R., and Rachman, S. (1985). Fearless and courage: A replication experiment. British Journal of Psychology 76 187–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quay, H.C. (1965). Psychopathic personality as pathological stimulation-seeking. American Journal of Psychiatry 122 180–183.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A. (in press). Psychophysiology and antisocial behavior. In J.D. Master, J. Brieling, and D. Stoff (Eds). Handbook of antisocial behavior.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A. (1996). Autonomic nervous system activity and violence. In D.M. Stoff and R.F. Cairns (Eds.) The Neurobiology of clinical aggression. (pp. 145–168). Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A. (1987). Effect of early environment on electrodermal and cognitive correlates of schizotypy and psychopathy in criminals. International Journal of Psychophysiology 4 277–287.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A. (1988). Antisocial behavior and social psychophysiology. In H. Wagner (Ed.) Social psychophysiology and emotion: Theory and clinical application (pp. 231–253). London: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A. (1993). The psychopathology of crime: Criminal behavior as a clinical disorder San Diego: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A., Brennan, P., and Farrington, D.P. (in press). Conceptual and theoretical issues facing biosocial research on violence. In Raine, A., Brennan, P., Farrington, D.P. and Mednick, S.A. (Eds). Biosocial bases of violence. New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A., Buchsbaum, M.S., Stanley, J., Lottenberg, S., Abel, L. and Stoddard, J. (1994). Selective reductions in pre-frontal glucose metabolism in murderers. Biological Psychiatry. 36 365–373.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A. and Mednick, S.A. (1989). Biosocial longitudinal research into antisocial behavior. Review d’Epidemiologie et de Sante Publique 37 515–524.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A., Reynolds, G.P. and Sheard, C. (1991). Neuroanatomical mediators of electrodermal activity in normal human subjects: A magnetic resonance imaging study. Psychophysiology 28 448–558.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A. and Venables, P.H. (1981). Classical conditioning and socialization—A biosocial interaction? Personality and Individual Differences 2 273–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A. and Venables, P.H. (1984b). Tonic heart rate level, social class, and antisocial behavior. Biological Psychology 18 123–132.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A. and Venables, P.H. (1984a). Electrodermal non-responding, schizoid tendencies, and antisocial behavior in adolescents. Psychophysiology 21 424–433.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A., Venables, P.H., and Mednick, S.A. (1996) Reduced resting heart rate at age 3 years predicts to aggressive behavior at age 11 years: Findings from the Mauritius Child Health Study (under review).

    Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A., Venables, P.H. and Williams, M. (1990a). Relationships between CNS and ANS measures of arousal at age 15 and criminality at age 24. Archives of General Psychiatry 47 1003–1007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A., Venables, P.H. and Williams, M. (1990b). Relationships between N1, P300 and CNV recorded at age 15 and criminal behavior at age 24. Psychophysiology 27 567–575.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A., Venables, P.H. and Williams, M. (1995). High autonomic arousal and electrodem1al orienting at age 15 years as protective factors against criminal behavior at age 29 years. American Journal of Psychiatry 152 1595–1600.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A., Venables, P.H. and Williams, M. (1996). Better autonomic conditioning and faster electrodermal half-recovery times at age 15 as possible protective factors against crime at age 29 years. Developmental Psychology 32 624–630.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sampson, R. And Laub, J.H. (In press). Unraveling the social context of physique and delinquency: A new long-term look at the Glueck’s classic study. In Raine, A., Brennan, P., Farrington, D.P. and Mednick, S.A. (Eds). Biosocial bases of violence. New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scarpa, A.S., Raine, A., Venables, P.H. and Mednick, S.A. (in press). Heart rate and skin conductance in behaviorally inhibited Mauritian children. Journal of Abnormal Psychology

    Google Scholar 

  • Snidman, N., Kagan, J. and McQuilkin, A. (1991). Fetal heart rate as a predictor of infant behavior. Psychophysiology 28 51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stouthamer-Loeber, M., Loeber, R., Farrington, D.P., Zhang, Q., van Kammen, W.B. and Maguin, E. (1993). The double edge of protective and risk factors for delinquency: Interrelations and developmental patterns. Development and Psychopathology 5 683–701.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Venables, P.H. (1978). Psychophysiology and psychometrics. Psychophysiology 15 30–315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Venables, P.H. and Christie, M.J. (1973). Mechanisms, instrumentation, recording techniques, and quantification of responses. In W.F. Prokasy and D.C. Raskin (Eds). Electrodermal activity in psychological research. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wadsworth, M.E.J. (1976). Delinquency, pulse rate and early emotional deprivation. British Journal of Criminology 16 245–256.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, J.Q. and Hermstein, R.J. (1985). Crime and human nature. New York: Simon and Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahn, T.P. and Kruesi, M.J.P. (1993). Autonomic activity in boys with disruptive behavior disorders. Psychophysiology 30 605–614.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zahn-Waxler, C., Cole, P.M., Welsh, J.D., and Fox, N.A. (1995). Psychophysiological correlates of empathy and prosocial behaviors in preschool children with behavior problems. Development and Psychopathology 7 27–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Raine, A., Reynolds, C., Venables, P.H., Mednick, S.A. (1997). Biosocial Bases of Aggressive Behavior in Childhood. In: Raine, A., Brennan, P.A., Farrington, D.P., Mednick, S.A. (eds) Biosocial Bases of Violence. Nato ASI Series, vol 292. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4648-8_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4648-8_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-4650-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-4648-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics