Disentangling genetic and environmental influences on early language development: The interplay of genetic propensity for negative emotionality and surgency, and parenting behavior effects on early language skills in an adoption study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Disentangling genetic and environmental influences on early language development

T2 - The interplay of genetic propensity for negative emotionality and surgency, and parenting behavior effects on early language skills in an adoption study

AU - Cheung, Rachael W

AU - Austerberry, Chloe

AU - Fearon, Pasco

AU - Hayiou-Thomas, Marianna E

AU - Leve, Leslie D

AU - Shaw, Daniel S

AU - Ganiban, Jody M

AU - Natsuaki, Misaki N

AU - Neiderhieser, Jenae M

AU - Reiss, David

N1 - © 2023 The Authors. Child Development published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Research in Child Development.

PY - 2023/11/10

Y1 - 2023/11/10

N2 - Parenting and children's temperament are important influences on language development. However, temperament may reflect prior parenting, and parenting effects may reflect genes common to parents and children. In 561 U.S. adoptees (57% male) and their birth and rearing parents (70% and 92% White, 13% and 4% African American, and 7% and 2% Latinx, respectively), this study demonstrated how genetic propensity for temperament affects language development, and how this relates to parenting. Genetic propensity for negative emotionality inversely predicted language at 27 months (β = -.15) and evoked greater maternal warmth (β = .12), whereas propensity for surgency positively predicted language at 4.5 years (β = .20), especially when warmth was low. Parental warmth (β = .15) and sensitivity (β = .19) further contributed to language development, controlling for common gene effects.

AB - Parenting and children's temperament are important influences on language development. However, temperament may reflect prior parenting, and parenting effects may reflect genes common to parents and children. In 561 U.S. adoptees (57% male) and their birth and rearing parents (70% and 92% White, 13% and 4% African American, and 7% and 2% Latinx, respectively), this study demonstrated how genetic propensity for temperament affects language development, and how this relates to parenting. Genetic propensity for negative emotionality inversely predicted language at 27 months (β = -.15) and evoked greater maternal warmth (β = .12), whereas propensity for surgency positively predicted language at 4.5 years (β = .20), especially when warmth was low. Parental warmth (β = .15) and sensitivity (β = .19) further contributed to language development, controlling for common gene effects.

U2 - 10.1111/cdev.14021

DO - 10.1111/cdev.14021

M3 - Article

C2 - 37947162

SN - 0009-3920

JO - Child Development

JF - Child Development

ER -