Autonomic Nervous System Factors Underlying Disinhibited, Antisocial, and Violent Behavior Biosocial Perspectives and Treatment Implicationsa

Abstract

This paper reviews the autonomic psychophysiological correlates of antisocial and aggressive behavior in children and adolescents, outlines a biosocial perspective, and draws implications for treatment and prevention. Findings of studies on resting skin conductance and heart rate indicate that antisocial individuals are characterized by underarousal; these findings suggest that aggressive children may be stimulation seekers who are relatively fearless. Autonomic underarousal also typifies infants and young children with a disinhibited temperament that is thought to be a predisposition to juvenile delinquency and adult aggressive behavior. Deficits in the orienting response, a measure of attention allocation, also predisposes to later antisocial and criminal behavior. Initial studies have shown that particularly high levels of orienting, arousal, and conditionability may protect against crime development in those predisposed to such an outcome. From a biosocial standpoint, it is hypothesized that the psychophysiological correlates of antisocial and violent behavior may be greatest in those from more benign home backgrounds where the psychosocial push forward is relatively weaker. Alternatively, early environmental stress may underlie autonomic underarousal and hyporeactivity in antisocial individuals. Finally, it is possible that biofeedback, in combination with a multimodal treatment program, may be one benign intervention technique that may increase arousal and reduce aggression in underaroused antisocial children.