Am J Psychiatry 1997; 154:853-855
Copyright © 1997 by American Psychiatric Association
Psychophysiological protective factors for male subjects at high risk for criminal behavior
PA Brennan, A Raine, F Schulsinger, L Kirkegaard-Sorensen, J Knop, B Hutchings, R Rosenberg and SA Mednick
Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
OBJECTIVE: This study examines the role of elevated autonomic nervous
system reactivity in protecting individuals at high risk for criminal
behavior from antisocial outcomes. The authors hypothesized that subjects
with criminal fathers who did not become criminals themselves were
biologically protected from such an outcome because of, in part, heightened
responsiveness of the autonomic nervous system. METHOD: Ninety-four male
subjects were placed into one of four study groups: criminal with criminal
father (N = 26), noncriminal with criminal father (N = 24), criminal with
noncriminal father (N = 20), and noncriminal with noncriminal father (N =
24). Skin conductance and heart rate data were gathered in an orienting
paradigm. RESULTS: Skin conductance and heart rate orienting reactivity
were found to be significantly higher in the group of noncriminal subjects
with criminal fathers than in the other three groups. CONCLUSIONS: For
subjects at high risk for criminal behavior, heightened autonomic nervous
system responsiveness appears to be associated with lower likelihood of
criminal outcome.
