Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Biology-Environment Interaction and Evocative Biology-Environment Correlation: Contributions of Harsh Discipline and Parental Psychopathology to Problem Adolescent Behaviors

  • Published:
Behavior Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Using an adoption paradigm, the Bioecological Model of development proposed by Bronfenbrenner and Ceci in 1994 was tested by concurrently modeling for biology-environment interaction and evocative biology-environment correlation. A sample of 150 adult adoptees (ages, 18–45 years) provided retrospective reports of harsh adoptive parent discipline, which served as the environmental independent variables. Birth parent psychopathology served as the biological predictor. The dependent variables were retrospective adoptee and adoptive parent reports on adolescent aggressive and conduct-disordered behaviors. Finally, adoptees were classified as experiencing contextual environmental risk using the presence of two or more adverse factors in the adoptive home (e.g., adoptive parent psychopathology) as the cutoff. The contextual environment was found to moderate the biological process of evocative biology-environment correlation, providing empirical support for the Bronfenbrenner and Ceci (1994) Bioecological Model.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, Fourth Edition. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, K. E., Lytton, H., and Romney, D. (1986). Mothers' interactions with normal and conduct-disordered boys: Who affects whom? Dev. Psychol. 22: 604-609.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arbuckle, J. L. (1994–1999). AMOS 4.0. Chicago: Smallwaters Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bates, J., Pettit, G. S., Dodge, K. A., and Ridge, B. (1999). Interaction of temperamental resistance to control and restrictive parenting in the development of externalizing behavior. Dev. Psychol. 34: 982-995.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baron, R. M., and Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 51: 1173-1182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, R. Q. (1968). A reinterpretation of the direction of effects in studies of socialization. Psychol. Rev. 75: 81-95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, R. Q. (1971). Stimulus control of parent or caretaker behavior by offspring. Dev. Psychol. 4: 63-72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, R. Q. (1979). Parent, child, and reciprocal influences. Am. Psychol. 34: 821-826.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, R. Q., and Chapman, M. (1986). Child effects in studies using experimental or brief longitudinal approaches to socialization. Dev. Psychol. 22: 595-603.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berger, A., Knutson, J., Mehm, J., and Perkins, K. (1988). The selfreport of punitive childhood experiences of young adults and adolescents. Child Abuse & Negl, 12: 251-262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bollen, K. A. (1989). Structural equations with latent variables. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U., and Ceci, S. (1994). Nature-nurture re-conceptualized in developmental perspective: A bio-ecological model. Psychol. Rev. 101: 568-586.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burgess, R. L., and Conger, R. D. (1978). Family interaction in abusive, neglectful, and normal families. Child Dev. 49: 1163-1173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cadoret, R. J., Yates, W., Troughton, E., Woodworth, G., and Stewart, M. (1995a). Adoption study demonstrating two genetic pathways to drug abuse. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 52: 42-52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cadoret, R. J., Yates, W., Troughton, E., Woodworth, G., and Stewart, M. (1995b). Genetic-environmental interaction in the genesis of aggressivity and conduct disorders. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 52: 916-924.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cadoret, R. J., and Cain, C. A. (1981). Genetic-environmental interaction in adoption studies of antisocial behavior. In C. Perris, G. Struwe, and B. Jansson (eds.), Biological psychiatry. Elsevier, North Holland: Biomedical Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cadoret, R. J., Cain, C. A., and Crowe, R. R. (1983). Evidence for gene-environment interaction in the development of adolescent antisocial behavior. Behav. Genet. 13: 301-310.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caspi, A., Elder, G. H., and Bem, D. J. (1987). Moving against the world: Life course patterns of explosive children. Dev. Psychol. 23: 308-313.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conger, R. D., Conger, K. J., Elder, G. H., Jr., Lorenz, F. O., Simons, R. L., and Whitbeck, L. B. (1992). A family process model of economic hardship and adjustment of early adolescent boys. Child Dev. 63: 526-541.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conger, R. D., Lorenz, F. O., Elder, G. H., Jr., Melby, J., N., Simons, R. L., and Conger, K. J. (1991). A process model of family economic pressure and early adolescent alcohol use. J. Early Adolesc. 11: 430-449.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coyne, J. C., and Downey, G. (1991). Social factors and psychopathology: Stress, social support, and coping processes. In M. R. Rosenzweig and L. W. Porter (eds.), Annual review of psychology (Vol. 42, pp. 401-425). Palo Alto, CA: Annual Reviews.

  • Deater-Deckard, K., and Dodge, K. (1997). Externalizing behavior problems and discipline revisited: Nonlinear effects and variation by culture, context, and gender. Psychol. Inquiry 8: 161-175.

    Google Scholar 

  • DiLalla, L., and Gottesman, I. (1991). Biological and genetic contributors to violence-Widom's untold tale. Psychol. Bull. 109: 125-129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dodge, K. A. (1990). Nature versus nurture in childhood conduct disorder: It is time to ask a different question. Dev. Psychol. 26: 698-701.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dodge, K. A., Pettit, G. S., Bates, J. E., and Valente, E. (1995). Social information-processing patterns partially mediate the effect of early physical abuse on later conduct problems. J. Abnormal Psychol 104: 632-643.

    Google Scholar 

  • Downey, G., and Coyne, J. C. (1990). Children of depressed parents: An integrative review. Psychol. Bull. 108: 50-76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Durcan, M. J., and Goldman, D. (1993). Genomic imprinting: Implications for behavioral genetics. Behav. Genet. 23: 137-143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elder, G., and Caspi, A. (1988). Economic stress in lives: Developmental perspectives. J. Soc. Issues 44: 25-45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eley, T. C., Lichtenstein, P., and Stevenson, J. (1999). Sex differences in the etiology of aggressive and nonaggressive antisocial behavior: Results from two twin studies. Child Dev. 70: 155-168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elkins, I. J., McGue, M., and Iacano, W. G. (1997). Genetic and environmental influence on parent-son relationships: Evidence for increasing genetic influence during adolescence. Dev. Psychol. 33: 351-363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feighner, J. P., Robins, E., Guze, S. B., Woodruff, R. A., Jr., Winokur, G., and Munoz, R. (1972). Diagnostic criteria for use in psychiatric research. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 35: 837-844.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ge, X., Conger, R. D., Cadoret, R. J., Neiderhiser, J. M., Yates, W., Troughton, E., and Stewart, M. A. (1994). The developmental interface between nature and nurture: A mutual influence model of child antisocial behavior and parent behaviors. Dev. Psychol. 31: 574-589.

    Google Scholar 

  • George, C., and Main, M. (1979). Social interactions of young abused children: Approach-avoidance and aggression. Child Dev. 50: 306-318.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenwald, R. L., Bank, L., Reid, J. B., and Knutson, J. F. (1997). A discipline-mediated model of excessively punitive parenting. Aggress. Behav. 23: 259-280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hershberger, S. L. (1994). Genotype-environment interaction and correlation. In J. C. DeFries, R. Plomin, and D. W. Fulker (eds.). Nature and nurture during middle childhood (pp. 281-294). Oxford, UK: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobson, K. C., Prescott, C. A., Neale, M. C., and Kendler, K. S. (2000). Cohort differences in genetic and environmental influences on retrospective reports of conduct disorder among adult male twins. Psychol. Med. 30: 775-787.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larzalere, R. E., and Patterson, G. R. (1990). Parental management: Mediator of the effect of socioeconomic status on early delinquency. Criminology 28: 301-323.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lempers, J., Clark-Lempers, D., and Simons, R. L. (1989). Economic hardship, parenting, and distress in adolescence. Child Dev. 60: 25-39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lytton, H. (1982). Two-way influence processes between parents and child—when, where, how? Can. J. Behav. Sci. 14: 259-275.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lytton, H. (1990). Child and parent effects in boys' conduct disorder: A reinterpretation. Dev. Psychol. 26: 683-697.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maccoby, E. E. (1992). The role of parents in the socialization of children: An historical overview. Dev. Psychol. 28: 1006-1017.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maccoby, E. E. (1998). The two sexes: Growing up apart, coming together. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maccoby, E. E., and Martin, J. M. (1983). Socialization in the context of the family: Parent-child interaction. In E. M. Hetherington (ed.), Socialization, personality, and social development (Vol. IV, Chap. 1). In Handbook of Child Development series (G. H. Mussen, ed.). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • McClelland, G. H., and Judd, C. M. (1993). Statistical difficulties of detecting interactions and moderate effects. Psychol. Bull. 114: 376-390.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, J. M., Rutter, M., Silberg, J. L., Maes, H. H., Simonoff, E., Shilladyy, L. L., Pickles, A., Hewitt, J., and Eaves, L. J. (2000). Familial aggregation for conduct disorder symptomatology: the role of genes, marital discord, and family adaptability. Psychol. Med. 30: 759-774.

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Connor, T. G., Deater-Deckard, K., Fulker, D., Rutter, M., and Plomin, R. (1998). Genotype-environment correlations in late childhood and early adolescence: Antisocial behavioral problems and coercive parenting. Dev. Psychol. 34: 970-981.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, G. R. (1982). A social learning approach, Vol. 3: Coercive family process. Eugene, OR: Castalia Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, G. R. (1983). Stress: A change agent for family process. In N. Garmezy and M. Rutter (eds.), Stress, coping and development in children (pp. 235-264). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, G., Reid, J., and Dishion, T. (1992). Antisocial boys. Eugene, OR: Castalia Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Plomin, R., DeFries, J. C., and Loehlin, J. C. (1977). Genotypeenvironment interaction and correlation in the analysis of human behavior. Psychol. Bull. 84: 309-322.

    Google Scholar 

  • Plomin, R., DeFries, J., and Fulker, D. (1994). Nature and nurture during middle childhood. Blackwell: Oxford, England.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prescott, A., Bank, L., Reid, J. B., Knutson, J. F., Burraston, B. O., and Eddy, J. M. (2000). The veridicality of punitive childhood experiences reported by adolescents and young adults. Child Abuse Neglect 24(3): 411-423.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid, J. B., Patterson, G. R., and Loeber, R. (1982). The abused child: Victim, instigator, or innocent bystander. In D. Berstein (ed.), Response structure and organization. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reidy, T. J. (1977). The aggressive characteristics of abused and neglected children. J. Clin. Psychol. 33: 1140-1145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robins, L., Helzer, J., Cottler, L., and Goldring, E. (1989). NIMH diagnostic interview schedule, version 3, revised (DIS-III-R). St. Louis, MO: Washington University School of Medicine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowe, D. (1981). Environmental and genetic influences on dimensions of perceived parenting: A twin study. Dev. Psychol. 17: 203-208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowe, D. (1983). A biometrical analysis of perceptions of family environment: A study of twin and singleton sibling kinships. Child Dev. 54: 416-423.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M. (1997). Implications of genetic research for child psychiatry. Can. J. Psychiatry 42: 569-576.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M., and Pickles, A. (1991). Person-environment interactions: Concepts, mechanisms, and implications for data analysis. In T. D. Wachs and R. Plomin (eds.), Conceptualization and measurement of organism-environment interaction. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M., Dunn, J., Plomin, R., Simonoff, E., Pickles, A., Maughan, B., Ormel, J., Meyer, J., and Eaves, L. (1997). Integrating nature and nurture: Implications of person-environment correlations and interactions for developmental psychopathology. Dev. Psychol. 9: 335-364.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M., Macdonald, H., Couteur, A. L., Harrington, R., Bolton, P., and Bailey, A. (1990). Genetic factors in child psychiatric disorders II. Empirical findings. J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry 31: 39-83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salzinger, S., Kaplan, S., Pelcovitz, D., Samit, C., and Krieger, R. (1984). Parent and teacher assessment of children's behavior in maltreating families. J. Am. Acad. Child Psychiatry 23: 458-464.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sameroff, A. J., Seifer, R., and Bartko, W. T. (1997). Environmental perspectives on adaptation during childhood and adolescence. In S. Luthar, J. A. Burack, D. Cicchetti, and J. R. Weisz eds.), Developmental psychopathology: Perspectives on adjustment, risk, and disorder. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge United Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scarr, S., and McCartney, K. (1983). How people make their own environments: A theory of genotype → environment effects. Child Dev. 54: 424-435.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoolmiller, M. (1999). Implications of the restricted range of family environments for estimates of heritability and nonshared environment in behavior-genetic adoption studies. Psychol. Bull. 125: 392-409.

    Google Scholar 

  • Susman, E., Trickett, P., Iannotti, R., Hollenbeck, B., and Zahn-Waxler, C. (1985). Child-rearing patterns in depressed, abusive, and normal mothers. Am. J. Orthop. 55: 237-251.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taplin, P. S., and Reid, J. B. (1977). Changes in parent consequences as a function of family intervention. J. Consult. Clinical Psychol. 45: 973-981.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahn-Waxler, C., Ianotti, R. J., Cummings, E. M., and Denham, S. (1990). Antecedents of problem behaviors in children of depressed mothers. Dev. Psychopathol. 2: 271-291.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Kristin M. Riggins-Caspers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Remi J. Cadoret
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. John F. Knutson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Douglas Langbehn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Riggins-Caspers, K.M., Cadoret, R.J., Knutson, J.F. et al. Biology-Environment Interaction and Evocative Biology-Environment Correlation: Contributions of Harsh Discipline and Parental Psychopathology to Problem Adolescent Behaviors. Behav Genet 33, 205–220 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023434206261

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023434206261

Search

Navigation