Cutting Nature at Its Joints: toward an Evolutionarily Informed Theory of Natural Types of Conduct Disorder

This paper proposes a theory of different types of Conduct Disorder based on individual differences in five sex-differentiated evolved personality systems: The Behavioral Approach System (BAS) underlying sensation seeking and aggressive pursuit of reward and social dominance; the Nurturance/Pair Bonding System, low levels of which are linked to the callous-coldhearted personality trait associated with behavior that victimizes others; the Reactivity/Affect Intensity System underlying individual differences in emotional intensity, most notably, in proneness to anger; the Prefrontal Executive Control underlying the ability to control sub-cortical impulses related to behavioral approach and emotionality; and the Behavioral Inhibition System underlying fear and other reactions to personal threat. The most socially destructive combination of these traits appears in individuals who are callous-coldhearted and high on behavioral approach. When low in prefrontal executive control, such individuals are prone to impulsive, emotionally charged reactive and proactive aggression that victimizes others; when high in prefrontal executive control, such individuals are prone to well-planned, non-impulsive proactive victimization of others. Individuals who are not callous-coldhearted are low to moderate on behavioral approach and emotionality, and are high on prefrontal executive control are the least likely to be diagnosed with Conduct Disorder. Discussion emphasizes conceptualizing interactions between the BAS and the Nurturance/Pair Bonding System.