Skin conductance fear conditioning impairments and aggression: A longitudinal study |
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| Authors: | Yu Gao Catherine Tuvblad Anne Schell Laura Baker Adrian Raine |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, USA;2. Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA;3. Department of Psychology, Occidental College, Los Angeles, California, USA;4. Departments of Criminology, Psychiatry, and Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
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| Abstract: | Autonomic fear conditioning deficits have been linked to child aggression and adult criminal behavior. However, it is unknown if fear conditioning deficits are specific to certain subtypes of aggression, and longitudinal research is rare. In the current study, reactive and proactive aggression were assessed in a sample of males and females when aged 10, 12, 15, and 18 years old. Skin conductance fear conditioning data were collected when they were 18 years old. Individuals who were persistently high on proactive aggression measures had significantly poorer conditioned responses at 18 years old when compared to others. This association was not found for reactive aggression. Consistent with prior literature, findings suggest that persistent antisocial individuals have unique neurobiological characteristics and that poor autonomic fear conditioning is associated with the presence of increased instrumental aggressive behavior. |
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| Keywords: | Electrodermal Fear conditioning Aggression Longitudinal |
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