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Selected Publication:
SHR Neuro Cancer Cardio Lipid Metab Microb
Schulter, G; Milek, B; Lackner, HK; Weber, B; Fink, A; Rominger, C; Perchtold-Stefan, C; Papousek, I.
Diagnosing callous-unemotional personality traits by heart rate orienting responses to images inducing threat and distress.
Sci Rep. 2023; 13(1): 22063
Doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-49307-7
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- Co-authors Med Uni Graz
- Lackner Helmut Karl
- Rominger Christian
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- Abstract:
- The present study aimed at developing a rather easily applicable method of testing physiological reactions to images of threats and misery. To this end, rapid-changing, transient heart rate orienting responses were used for gaining physiologically based, objective responses to the images. Additionally, subjective ratings were obtained. A significant insensitivity to other's welfare and well-being was already demonstrated as a core feature of callous-unemotional personalities. Thus, physiologically based methods may supplement and possibly improve existing assessments and, in particular, may contribute to a multimodal assessment of psychopathic traits. Out of a non-forensic community sample of 122 men, we selected two extreme groups of 30 participants with the lowest and highest callous-unemotional traits respectively, ascertained by questionnaires. As expected, participants with higher scores of callous-unemotional traits showed smaller responses to distress cues in both heart rate responses and subjective ratings. Moreover, within the group with high callous-unemotional traits heart rate responses to threatening as well as distress cues did not significantly differ from responses to neutral pictures. The study provides further evidence for the idea that a lack of responsiveness to distress cues may be seen as a central feature of callous-unemotional personalities.