Skin Conductance Responses to a Discrete Threat in Virtual Reality: Associations with Psychopathy and Anxiety

Abstract

People with high levels of psychopathic traits are often described as fearless and lacking in emotional depth, particularly when evaluating threats in their environments. Skin conductance responsivity (SCR) to negative emotional stimuli represents a robust autonomic correlate of conduct problem behavior in children (Fanti et al., in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 100, 98-107, 2019). However, studies that have examined threat-related processing in youth with conduct problems have tended to use a variety of negative stimuli that might induce various and unspecific negative emotions. Few studies have taken in to account the moderating effects of anxiety on the relationship of distinct psychopathic traits (e.g., narcissism, callousness, impulsivity) with SCR to a fear inducing stimulus. In this study, we examined SCR to a virtual reality rollercoaster drop - that is, a discrete fear inducing event - in a sample of 75 youths (61 males; M = 14 years, SD = 1.4) enrolled in a non-mainstream school. The rollercoaster drop was used to more clearly examine an event-related response to a discrete threat, rather than examining SCR throughout the rollercoaster ride. We used the teacher-reported Antisocial Process Screening Device (Frick & Hare, in Antisocial process screening device: APSD. Toronto: Multi-Health Systems, 2001) to examine the relations of distinct psychopathic traits with SCR and self-reported anxiety. Lower anxiety was associated with higher callousness, but only in youths with low SCR to discrete threat. These findings suggest that fear and anxiety show complex and interactive relations with distinct psychopathic traits.

Keywords: Anxiety; Fear; Psychopathy; Skin conductance; Virtual reality.

Fig. 1

Timeline for event-related analysis of skin conductance. Note a is onset of event (top of rollercoaster when drop height is revealed; b marks the 1–4 s time window when any increase (over .05 microsiemens) in skin conductance was taken as the onset d of an event-related SCR; c was taken as the amplitude of the event-related SCR

Fig. 2

Plot showing the moderating effect of fear (SCR to drop) on the association between anxiety and narcissism (APSD NAR)

Fig. 3

Plot showing the moderating effect of fear (SCR to drop) on the association between anxiety and CU traits (APSD CU)

Fig. 4

Plot showing the moderating effect of fear (SCR to drop) on the association between anxiety and impulsivity (APSD IMP)