Aggressive behavior is a multifaceted phenomenon encompassing various behaviors with distinct etiological, developmental, and motivational underpinnings. Reactive aggression is impulsive, emotionally charged, and triggered by real or perceived provocation, whereas proactive aggression is premeditated, controlled, and aimed at achieving specific goals. This review delves into the physiological aspects of aggression to explore the validity of the “hot-blooded” (reactive) versus “cold-blooded” (proactive) distinction, which are thought to be associated with hyper-arousal and hypo-arousal, respectively. To do so, we build on evidence from work investigating the role of heart rate (HR), skin conductance (SC), heart rate variability (HRV), and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) in the manifestation of reactive and proactive aggression. Our review points to contradicting findings in terms of the physiological arousal patterns associated with each aggressive behavior, although associations with HRV and RSA were more consistent compared to those found for HR and SC measures. We propose distinct possibilities that might explain the identified contradictory evidence. Specifically, we suggest that future research needs to test for (1) environmental moderation (e.g., parenting styles), (2) individual differences (e.g., negative emotionality and callous-unemotional traits), (3) potential associations with physiological responses to threat (e.g., fear conditioning and startle reactivity), and (4) the interaction between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Despite its limitations, this line of work also has important implications and can guide more effective interventions for aggressive individuals who operate at a high cost to peers, family members and to the society in general.

中文翻译：

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反应性攻击和主动攻击的“热血与冷血”区别是否延伸到了生理学上？


攻击性行为是一种多方面的现象，包括具有不同病因、发展和动机基础的各种行为。反应性攻击是冲动的、情绪化的，是由真实的或感知到的挑衅引发的，而主动攻击是有预谋的、有控制的，旨在实现特定目标。这篇综述深入研究了攻击性的生理方面，以探讨“热血”（反应性）与“冷血”（主动性）区别的有效性，这两种区别被认为分别与过度唤醒和低唤醒有关。为此，我们基于调查心率 (HR)、皮肤电导 (SC)、心率变异性 (HRV) 和呼吸性窦性心律失常 (RSA) 在反应性和主动性攻击表现中的作用的工作证据。我们的评论指出，与每种攻击行为相关的生理唤醒模式方面的发现是相互矛盾的，尽管与 HR 和 SC 测量结果相比，HRV 和 RSA 的关联更为一致。我们提出了可能解释所识别的矛盾证据的独特可能性。具体来说，我们建议未来的研究需要测试（1）环境调节（例如，养育方式），（2）个体差异（例如，消极情绪和冷酷无情的特征），（3）与对威胁的生理反应的潜在关联（例如，恐惧调节和惊吓反应），以及（4）交感神经系统和副交感神经系统之间的相互作用。 尽管有其局限性，这一工作也具有重要意义，可以指导对那些给同伴、家庭成员和整个社会带来高昂成本的攻击性个体进行更有效的干预。