Resting heart rate and antisocial behavior: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis

•We conducted a meta-analysis of resting heart rate versus antisocial behavior.•Low resting heart rate was associated with higher levels of antisocial behavior.•Results did not differ across sex or age under the random effects model.•Results were similar across behaviors, including aggression and violence.

Prior meta-analyses have concluded that low resting heart rate is associated with higher levels of antisocial behavior. These reviews, however, have had important limitations that preclude firm conclusions about both the relationship between resting heart rate and antisocial behavior and potential moderators of this association. The goal of the current article was to address these limitations by conducting an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of resting heart rate versus antisocial behavior that included both published and unpublished results. 114 reports and 115 independent effect sizes yielded a summary effect size of d = − .20 (SE = .039, p < .001) under the random effects model. Sex and study design (concurrent or longitudinal) did not moderate the relationship between resting heart rate and antisocial behavior. Age and number of covariates were also unassociated with effect size. This meta-analysis demonstrated that the relationship between low resting heart rate and antisocial behavior is highly replicable and applies to multiple types of antisocial behavior, including aggression and psychopathy. Findings confirm the importance of low resting heart rate as a robust biological correlate of antisocial behavior.