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Is there an active gene-environment correlation in adolescent drinking behavior?

John C Loehlin¹

¹Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station A8000, Austin, TX 78712-0187, USA. loehlin@psy.utexas.edu

Behavior Genetics

|March 10, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Gene-environment correlation influences adolescent drinking by affecting peer selection. This study confirmed the link, particularly in female twins, suggesting genetic factors shape social environments for teenage alcohol use.

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Area of Science:

Behavioral Genetics
Adolescent Psychology
Social Sciences

Background:

Gene-environment correlation is a key concept in understanding how genetic predispositions interact with environmental factors.
Previous research suggested that adolescents' peer groups may be influenced by genetic factors, impacting their alcohol-related behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate gene-environment correlation in adolescent drinking behavior.
To confirm findings on peer selection as a mechanism linking genes and adolescent alcohol use.

Main Methods:

Utilized data from the National Merit Twin Study, including a scale of alcohol-related behaviors and shared friend items.
Analyzed data from 490 monozygotic (MZ) and 336 same-sex dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs.

Main Results:

Results showed consistency in the direction of gene-environment correlation for adolescent drinking behavior.
The observed correlation was modest and appeared to be primarily driven by the female twin sample.

Conclusions:

Gene-environment correlation plays a role in adolescent alcohol consumption through peer selection.
The influence of this correlation may be more pronounced in females, warranting further investigation into sex differences.