Role of Triarchic Traits in Relations of Early Resting Heart Rate With Antisocial Behavior and Broad Psychopathology Dimensions in Later Life

Abstract

Low resting heart rate (HR) is a known risk indicator for the development of antisocial behavior (ASB) and other clinical problems. Stimulation seeking and fearlessness have been explored as factors underlying the HR/ASB relationship, but these have often been conflated, which has complicated interpretation. We examined HR’s associations with ASB and other outcomes in terms of biobehavioral traits described by the triarchic model of psychopathy using data ( N = 710) from a longitudinal study of ASB risk. Low resting HR in childhood was related to adult ASB, and covariance between ASB and traits of disinhibition and boldness largely accounted for this association. In addition, low childhood HR was related to greater externalizing problems and fewer internalizing problems in adulthood; disinhibition accounted for the former association, and boldness accounted for the latter. Findings indicate a role for both disinhibition and boldness in associations between early HR and later clinical outcomes and have implications for theory and practice.

Triarchic traits as risk versus protective factors for ADHD symptomatology: A prospective longitudinal investigation

“…Early temperament traits, theorized to reflect basic neurobehavioral propensities (e.g., Buss & Plomin, 1975;Rothbart, 1989), are increasingly recognized as significant factors for understanding the developmental trajectories of childhood psychopathology (for discussion, see Perkins et al, 2020). The neurobehavioral trait constructs of the triarchic model (Patrick et al, 2009Patrick, 2022) have shown promise for elucidating both adaptive and maladaptive trajectories involving externalizing forms of psychopathology, including substance use problems, antisocial behavior, and ADHD (Bertoldi et al, 2022;Bertoldi et al, 2023;Palumbo et al, 2021;Patrick, 2022;Perkins et al, 2022). The triarchic model traits are boldness, reflecting social dominance, emotional resiliency, and venturesomeness; meanness, entailing aggressive resource seeking without regard for others; and disinhibition, involving deficient restraint and general proneness to impulse control problems (Patrick et al, 2009).…”

Triarchic Model of Psychopathy and Intimate Partner Violence: An Empirical Study on the Italian Community

“…To illustrate, the triarchic trait constructs are represented to varying degrees in alternative historical accounts of psychopathy (see Crego & Widiger, 2016; Patrick, 2018) and different instruments for assessing it (Drislane & Patrick, 2017; Patrick & Drislane, 2015; Sellbom et al, 2016). They are consistently related to antisocial outcomes (e.g., Bertoldi et al, 2022; Drislane et al, 2022; Sica et al, 2021) and other mental disorders (e.g., Lynam et al, 2018; Palumbo et al, 2023).…”