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Behavior genetics.

The influence of hereditary and environmental factors is indispensable as the foundation on which the temperament of an animal is formed. Genetic research on animal temperament has experienced a turning point in recent years as a result of the development of molecular biology. In the near future, it may be possible to explain the formation process of animal temperament as the two fields share their research. We look forward to applying these research results to the development of new genetic treatment methods for problem behavior and training programs suited to the individual.

Animals↗

A behavioral genetic study of the overlap between personality and parenting.

The current study had three aims. The first was to examine the covariation between personality of parents and parenting behaviors. The second aim was to examine the genetic and environmental influences on parenting behaviors. The third aim was to examine the extent to which the association between personality and parenting was mediated by genetic and environmental factors. Personality (Five Factor Model, NEO-FFI) and parenting data were collected as part of a larger German study of 300 adult twin pairs (GOSAT). The current paper analyzes data on a subset of the 300 twin pairs from the GOSAT sample who were concordant for having children (n=98 pairs or 196 individuals). Results indicated modest overlap between personality and parenting. In addition, univariate behavioral genetic analyses indicated moderate genetic influence on select parenting dimensions. Results also indicated that the moderate phenotypic covariation between personality and parenting was attributed largely to nongenetic factors. Implications of the findings for research on parenting and personality are considered.

Adolescent↗

Behavioral genetics.

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Adaptation, Physiological↗

Personality traits as intermediary phenotypes in suicidal behavior: genetic issues.

A genetic contribution to the risk of suicidal behavior is now supported by many studies. It probably involves specific factors acting on their own, independently of the genetic transmission of associated psychiatric disorders. A history of childhood maltreatment, adverse events, psychosocial stress, psychological traits and major psychiatric disorders all appear to contribute to the global risk of suicide attempt or completion. The interplay between previously identified risk factors, different as they are in nature and degree of complexity, still remains to be clarified. A stress-diathesis model has been proposed, where trait-like genetic and developmental risk factors (the diathesis) interact through still unknown mechanisms with actual (stress-related) factors to create the conditions for a suicidal gesture. Disentangling the effects of these risk factors, and specifically the effects of the genetic factors influencing these different pathological conditions, appears to be a difficult task. Indeed the results of candidate gene association studies suggest that genetic vulnerability factors for various related psychiatric phenotypes (major psychiatric disorders and personality traits) partly overlap with more specific factors predisposing to suicidal behavior. Personality traits are partly under genetic control and may be closer to the genetic effects than psychiatric syndromes. We review here the available data on the genetics of personality traits presumably involved in suicidal behavior, focusing on the association studies carried out with serotonin-related genes. We suggest that future studies on the genetic vulnerability to suicidal behavior should include the investigation of endophenotypes, with the aim of deciphering the mechanisms underlying the genetic susceptibility to these closely associated phenotypes.

Aggression↗

Parental discipline and affection and children's prosocial behavior: genetic and environmental links.

The authors investigated genetic and environmental contributions to the relationships between children's (N=9,319 twin pairs) prosocial behavior and parental positivity and negativity toward them. Children's prosocial behavior was rated by parents at ages 3, 4, and 7 and by teachers at age 7. At each age, parents described their feelings and discipline toward each twin. Parental positivity was indexed by positive feelings and positive, non-coercive discipline, and parental negativity was indexed by negative feelings and coercive, punitive discipline. Genetics and the environment both contributed to individual differences in prosocial behavior and in parenting. At all ages, parental positivity correlated positively, and parental negativity correlated negatively with prosocial behavior. Genetic factors largely mediated the negative correlation between prosocial behavior and parental negativity. Shared environmental effects contributed mainly to the positive relationship between prosocial behavior and parental positivity. This pattern was found both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The findings point to the importance of children's characteristics and of the parent-child relationship in family processes.

Adult↗

Behavior genetic analysis of mouse emotionality. III. The diallel analysis.

A total of 775 pure-strain and F1 mice were obtained from a 6 X 6 diallel mating plan. Previous factor analysis of 42 measures of emotionality identified 14 behavioral factors, ten of which were interpretable. Hayman's analysis of variance and analysis of diallel crosses were applied to each of the factors. In general, the findings indicate that the mode of inheritance for emotionality factors is polygenic and in the direction of complete dominance. However, a major point of this investigation is that the mode of inheritance of highly complex behavior such as emotionality depends on the factor in question. For example, the breakdown of dominance effects by factor was as follows: partial dominance--Motor Discharge, Food Motivation, Tunneling-2, and Activity Level (males); complete dominance--Audiogenic Reactivity, Underwater Swimming (males), and Activity Level (females); overdominance--Acrophobia, Territorial Marking (males). Additional findings include directional dominance for Underwater Swimming and Audiogenic Reactivity, and significant sex differences for eight of the 14 factors.

Animals↗

The association of early adolescent problem behavior and adult psychopathology: a multivariate behavioral genetic perspective.

Research has documented a strong association between early adolescent problem behavior and adult disinhibitory psychopathology, leading some to suggest that the latter can be reduced by preventing or delaying the former. But the prevention implications of this association necessarily depend upon the causal mechanisms that produce it. The current study was designed to test implications of a model that posits that early problem behavior and disinhibitory psychopathology are associated because they are both manifestations of a common inherited liability. At their age-17 assessment, 1080 twins from the older cohort of the Minnesota Twin Family Study reported whether and the age at which they first: drank alcohol, used tobacco, used illicit drugs, had sexual intercourse, and had police contact. An Early Problem Behavior index was computed by summing the number of these experiences each participant reported having before age 15. Outcome measures of disinhibitory psychopathology were assessed by clinical interview at the age-20 follow-up and included number of symptoms of nicotine dependence, alcohol abuse and dependence, drug abuse and dependence, and adult antisocial behavior. Biometric analysis of the multivariate twin data showed that: (1) early adolescent problem behavior is weakly heritable (approximately 20%), (2) the common factor underlying disinhibitory psychopathology is strongly heritable (approximately 75%), and (3) the phenotypic correlation between early adolescent problem behavior and disinhibitory psychopathology was strong (approximately 0.60) and accounted for primarily by genetic factors common to the two domains. Findings are discussed in the context of research on the prevention and developmental nature of substance use disorders and related psychopathology.

Adolescent↗

Genes and aggressiveness. Behavioral genetics.

Four strains of 'knockout' mice, each with a different gene inactivated, have been found to show increased aggressive behavior. The generation of such knockout strains and quantitative trait locus analysis will help identify the genetic determinants of this complex trait.

Aggression↗

Parenting and its effects on children: on reading and misreading behavior genetics.

There is clear evidence that parents can and do influence children. There is equally clear evidence that children's genetic makeup affects their own behavioral characteristics, and also influences the way they are treated by their parents. Twin and adoption studies provide a sound basis for estimating the strength of genetic effects, although heritability estimates for a given trait vary widely across samples, and no one estimate can be considered definitive. This chapter argues that knowing only the strength of genetic factors, however, is not a sufficient basis for estimating environmental ones and indeed, that attempts to do so can systematically underestimate parenting effects. Children's genetic predispositions and their parents' childrearing regimes are seen to be closely interwoven, and the ways in which they function jointly to affect children's development are explored.

Adult↗

A longitudinal behavioral genetic analysis of task persistence.

Change in task persistence was assessed in two annual assessments using teachers', testers', and observers' ratings. Participants included 79 monozygotic and 116 same-sex dizygotic twin pairs who were in Kindergarten or 1st grade (4.3 to 7.9 years old) at the initial assessment. Task persistence was widely distributed and higher among older children and girls. Overall, there was modest growth in persistence over time, and moderate stability of individual differences. Most of the stability was accounted for by genetic influences, whereas most of the change was accounted for by nonshared environment, including an association with observed differential maternal warm supportive behavior.

Analysis of Variance↗