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Genetics of nurture: A test of the hypothesis that parents' genetics predict their observed caregiving.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Wertz, J; Belsky, J; Moffitt, TE; Belsky, DW; Harrington, H; Avinun, R; Poulton, R; Ramrakha, S; Caspi, A
Published in: Developmental psychology
July 2019

Twin studies have documented that parenting behavior is partly heritable, but it is unclear how parents' genetics shape their caregiving. Using tools of molecular genetics, the present study investigated this process by testing hypotheses about associations between a genome-wide polygenic score for educational attainment and parental caregiving in 702 members of the Dunedin Study, a population-representative birth cohort. Data have been prospectively collected from when Study members were born through to midlife, and include assessments of the caregiving they provided once they became parents. Results showed that parents' polygenic scores predicted warm, sensitive, and stimulating caregiving, both in personal interactions with their young children (as captured on video) and through the home environments they created for their families (as observed by home visitors). The magnitude of this effect was small. Polygenic-score associations were independent of well-established predictors of parenting, such as parents' own childhood experiences of parenting and the age at which they became parents. Polygenic-score associations were mediated by parents' early-emerging cognitive abilities and self-control skills. Findings have implications for theory and research about genetic influences on caregiving and child development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

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Published In

Developmental psychology

DOI

EISSN

1939-0599

ISSN

0012-1649

Publication Date

July 2019

Volume

55

Issue

7

Start / End Page

1461 / 1472

Related Subject Headings

  • Twins
  • Social Class
  • Prospective Studies
  • Parents
  • Parenting
  • New Zealand
  • Male
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Humans
  • Gene-Environment Interaction
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Wertz, J., Belsky, J., Moffitt, T. E., Belsky, D. W., Harrington, H., Avinun, R., … Caspi, A. (2019). Genetics of nurture: A test of the hypothesis that parents' genetics predict their observed caregiving. Developmental Psychology, 55(7), 1461–1472. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000709
Wertz, Jasmin, Jay Belsky, Terrie E. Moffitt, Daniel W. Belsky, HonaLee Harrington, Reut Avinun, Richie Poulton, Sandhya Ramrakha, and Avshalom Caspi. “Genetics of nurture: A test of the hypothesis that parents' genetics predict their observed caregiving.Developmental Psychology 55, no. 7 (July 2019): 1461–72. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000709.
Wertz J, Belsky J, Moffitt TE, Belsky DW, Harrington H, Avinun R, et al. Genetics of nurture: A test of the hypothesis that parents' genetics predict their observed caregiving. Developmental psychology. 2019 Jul;55(7):1461–72.
Wertz, Jasmin, et al. “Genetics of nurture: A test of the hypothesis that parents' genetics predict their observed caregiving.Developmental Psychology, vol. 55, no. 7, July 2019, pp. 1461–72. Epmc, doi:10.1037/dev0000709.
Wertz J, Belsky J, Moffitt TE, Belsky DW, Harrington H, Avinun R, Poulton R, Ramrakha S, Caspi A. Genetics of nurture: A test of the hypothesis that parents' genetics predict their observed caregiving. Developmental psychology. 2019 Jul;55(7):1461–1472.

Published In

Developmental psychology

DOI

EISSN

1939-0599

ISSN

0012-1649

Publication Date

July 2019

Volume

55

Issue

7

Start / End Page

1461 / 1472

Related Subject Headings

  • Twins
  • Social Class
  • Prospective Studies
  • Parents
  • Parenting
  • New Zealand
  • Male
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Humans
  • Gene-Environment Interaction