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Birth Complications and Negative Emotionality Predict Externalizing Behaviors in Young Twins: Moderations with
Lisabeth Fisher DiLalla1, Matthew R Jamnik2, Riley L Marshall2
1Family and Community Medicine, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA. Ldilalla@siu.edu.
Behavior Genetics
|May 28, 2021
Summary
Genetic and environmental factors interact to influence childhood externalizing behaviors. Children with high genetic risk or low income show more externalizing behaviors, while others are affected by birth complications and negative emotionality.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Behavioral Genetics
Background:
- Externalizing behaviors in childhood are influenced by a complex interplay of factors.
- Understanding these interactions is crucial for early intervention and support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how genetic, biological, and ecological variables predict externalizing behaviors from preschool to middle childhood.
- To examine the moderating roles of genetic risk for aggression and ecological risk factors (insensitive parenting, low income).
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 355 children from twin and triplet sets.
- Data collected at ages 4-5 years and again in middle childhood (approx. 7.9 years).
- Multilevel linear modeling used to analyze the data.
Main Results:
- Children with high genetic risk for aggression or from low-income families exhibited higher externalizing behaviors.
- In children without high genetic risk, increased birth complications or negative emotionality predicted higher externalizing scores.
- Both genetic and ecological factors significantly moderated the prediction of externalizing behaviors.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights the complex, multifactorial nature of externalizing behaviors.
- Biological predispositions interact with genetic and environmental contexts.
- Considering these integrated variables is essential for a comprehensive understanding of childhood behavioral development.
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