NCJ Number
255848
Journal
Development and Psychopathology Volume: 31 Issue: 4 Dated: 2019 Pages: 1271-1283
Date Published
2019
Length
13 pages
Annotation
In this study, a longitudinal sample of 203 men were given physical and behavioral examinations as teens (age 16.1) and adults (mean age 32.0) to assess their (a) stability of heart rate levels and reactivity, (b) stability of aggression/hostility, and (c) whether change or stability related to health risk.
Abstract
A low resting heart rate across development from infancy to young adulthood relates to greater aggression/hostility. Adult aggression and a high heart rate relate to health risk. Do some aggressive individuals retain low heart rate and less health risk across development while others show high heart rate and more risk? In examining this issue, the current study assessed adults with Buss–Perry measures of aggression/hostility, and teens were assessed with the Zuckerman aggression/hostility measure. The study found that mean resting heart rate, heart rate reactivity to speech preparation, and aggression/hostility were moderately stable across development. Within age periods, mean heart rate level, but not reactivity, was negatively related to hostility/aggression. Maintaining low heart rate into adulthood was related to better health among aggressive individuals relative to those with increasing heart rate into adulthood. Analyses controlled for weight gain, socioeconomic status, race, health habits, and medication. Low heart rate as a characteristic of hostile/aggressive individuals may continue to relate to better health indices in adulthood, despite possible reversal of this relationship with aging. 62 references (publisher abstract modified)