Sex-specific association between psychopathic traits and electrodermal reactivity in children.

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship of skin conductance response (SCR) to a child psychopathy measure. Blunted electrodermal activity is a theoretically important characteristic of psychopathy, but has not been fully explored in preadolescents or females. We tested the hypothesis that reduced SCR magnitude is associated with psychopathic-like traits in boys and girls. Participants were drawn from an ethnically diverse community sample of 9-10 year old twins. Given the fact that members of each twin pair were rated by the same individual (i.e., their caregiver) on the Child Psychopathy Scale, we examined individual differences at the within-family level. Skin conductance data were collected during a passive auditory task consisting of 75-dB tones as well as miscellaneous sounds (e.g., baby cries, bird noises, and speech-like stimuli). Reduced SCR magnitude (hyporeactivity) was only characteristic of boys with higher psychopathy scores. More specifically, electrodermal hyporeactivity was linked to the interpersonal facet of psychopathy, suggesting that it is a biological marker of a manipulative and deceitful orientation in males. No association was found between SCRs and psychopathic traits in girls, indicating the importance of sex specific etiologies of psychopathy in childhood.

Psychopathic traits mediate the association of serotonin transporter genotype and child externalizing behavior

“…Although genetic and environmental influences on psychopathic traits may be comparable in boys and girls (Ficks, Dong, & Waldman, 2014), other putative causal risk factors may be divergent (Krischer & Sevecke, 2008; see Verona & Vitale, 2006 for review). Reduced skin conductance responses were positively associated with the interpersonal facet of psychopathic traits (including narcissism) in boys but not girls during a countdown task (Isen et al, 2010). Similarly, men homozygous for the 5-HTTLPR short allele, but not women, were more likely to administer higher shocks (i.e., aggression) to a confederate under stress (Verona, Joiner, Johnson, & Bender, 2006).…”

Skin conductance fear conditioning impairments and aggression: A longitudinal study

“…If no response was detected, then the magnitude for that particular trial assumed a value of zero rather than being omitted. We decided against confining our analyses to nonzero values (i.e., amplitudes) in order to exploit the full set of observations (Isen, Raine, Baker, Dawson, Bezdjian, & Lozano, 2010; Tuvblad, Gao, Isen, Botwick, Raine, & Baker, 2012). …”

Development of Psychopathy from Childhood

“…Two studies were found that youths with both CD and higher CU traits showed a lower changing of heart rate to emotionally reminiscent ilms compared to youths with CD but without CU traits [132,133]. In addition, it was demonstrated that when anticipating aversive stimuli, skin conductance reactivity reduced in adolescents with psychopathic traits compared to controls [134,135]. Additionally, CU traits were negatively related to skin conductance reactivity when responding to peer provocation in a sample of detained adolescent boys [136].…”