The Psychophysiology of Primary and Secondary Variants of Psychopathic Traits in Youth

• In Event: Psychopathic Personality, Antisocial Behavior, and Crime: The Role of Psychophysiology

Abstract

Psychopathy is a cluster of personality traits marked by a pervasive callousness, lack of shame or remorse, deceitfulness, a persona of confidence and charm, shallow emotional connection, and general lack of insight into their actions. Research has suggested that there are distinct etiological pathways to the development of psychopathic traits. The primary variants show a low-fear, low-anxiety profile during stress, and it has genetic basis, whereas the secondary variants are characterized by emotional dysregulation and fearfulness during stress and tend to be influenced by environmental adversity. Some initial evidence has suggested that primary variants are characterized by sympathetic and parasympathetic coinhibition during stressful contexts, whereas secondary variants do not (or may show coactivation). There is little research examining sympathetic and parasympathetic coordination patterns in school-aged children with high or low psychopathic traits. Using data collected from school-aged children, we tested the following hypotheses: (1) the primary variants of psychopathy would be associated with coinhibition, reflecting a hypoarousal and maladaptive autonomic functioning in response to stress; (2) the secondary variants would be associated with coactivation due to its comorbid impulsivity and emotion dysregulation; and (3) these relationships would be relatively stable in a one-year period. Implications for further research will be discussed.

Authors

• Ines Guariguata, CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Liat Kofler, The Graduate Center, City University of New York

• Yu Gao, Brooklyn College, CUNY