Heart rate level and antisocial behavior in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis

Objective: To assess whether antisocial children are characterized by low heart rate. Method: A meta-analysis was conducted on 45 independent effect sizes of the resting heart rate-antisocial behavior relationship obtained from 40 studies meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria. Studies were conducted between 1971 to 2002 using a total of 5,868 children. A secondary meta-analysis was also conducted on heart rate during a stressor. Results: Significant overall effect sizes were found for both resting heart rate (d = -0.44, p < .0001) and heart during a stressor (d = -0.76, p < .0001). Gender, age, method of recording, use of psychiatric control group, recruitment source, concurrent versus prospective nature of testing, and source of behavioral rating all failed to moderate this relationship Conclusions: Low resting heart rate appears to be the best-replicated biological correlate to date of antisocial behavior in children and adolescents. Several theoretical interpretations of this relationship are outlined that should. be examined in future studies. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc.