The association between genetic predisposition and parental socialization: An examination of gene–environment correlations using an adoption-based design

Citation

Knoblach, Rachel A.; Schwartz, Joseph A.; McBride, Marianna; & Beaver, Kevin M. (2019). The association between genetic predisposition and parental socialization: An examination of gene–environment correlations using an adoption-based design. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology.

Abstract

An extensive body of research has examined the role that genetic influences play in the development of antisocial behavior. Even so, there remains much that is unknown regarding the intersections among antisocial behavior, environments, and genetic influences. The current study is designed to shed some light on this issue by examining whether gene?environment correlations are present in the lives of adopted adolescents. More specifically, this article seeks to contribute to scholarship efforts aimed at understanding whether biological parents antisocial behavioral phenotypes behaviors often attributed to an increased likelihood of receiving a genetic propensity for antisocial behaviors predict variation in environments that are experienced by their adopted-away offspring. To do so, the biological parents of adoptees were assessed and used to identify ways in which children elicit certain responses from their adoptive parents based, in part, on their genotype. Correlational analyses were calculated on a sample of adoptees (the final analytic sample ranged between n = 229 and n = 293) drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). The results of the study revealed very little evidence of gene environment correlations. The implications of these findings are considered.

URL

https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X19849568

Reference Type

Journal Article

Journal Title

International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology

Author(s)

Knoblach, Rachel A.
Schwartz, Joseph A.
McBride, Marianna
Beaver, Kevin M.

Year Published

2019

Edition

May 16, 2019

DOI

10.1177/0306624X19849568

Reference ID

6075