Nonshared environmental influences on individual differences in early behavioral development: A monozygotic twin differences study

K  Asbury; J F  Dunn; A  Pike; R  Plomin

Nonshared environmental influences on individual differences in early behavioral development: A monozygotic twin differences study

K Asbury, J F Dunn, A Pike, R Plomin

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The monozygotic (MZ) twin differences method was used to investigate nonshared environmental (NSE) influences independent of genetics. Four-year-old MZ twin pairs (N = 2,353) were assessed by their parents on 2 parenting measures (harsh parental discipline and negative parental feelings) and 4 behavioral measures (anxiety, prosocial behavior, hyperactivity, and conduct problems). Within-pair differences in parenting correlated significantly with MZ differences in behavior, with an average effect size of 3%. For the extreme 10% of the parenting-discordant and behavior-discordant distributions, the average NSE effect size was substantially greater (11%), suggesting a stronger NSE relationship for more discordant twins. NSE relationships were also stronger in higher risk environments, that is, families with lower socioeconomic status, greater family chaos, or greater maternal depression.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	933-943
Number of pages	11
Journal	Child Development
Volume	74
Issue number	3
Publication status	Published - 2003

Cite this

@article{889b1ed2ca9145d5a8dda6e107dfb6fb,

title = "Nonshared environmental influences on individual differences in early behavioral development: A monozygotic twin differences study",

abstract = "The monozygotic (MZ) twin differences method was used to investigate nonshared environmental (NSE) influences independent of genetics. Four-year-old MZ twin pairs (N = 2,353) were assessed by their parents on 2 parenting measures (harsh parental discipline and negative parental feelings) and 4 behavioral measures (anxiety, prosocial behavior, hyperactivity, and conduct problems). Within-pair differences in parenting correlated significantly with MZ differences in behavior, with an average effect size of 3%. For the extreme 10% of the parenting-discordant and behavior-discordant distributions, the average NSE effect size was substantially greater (11%), suggesting a stronger NSE relationship for more discordant twins. NSE relationships were also stronger in higher risk environments, that is, families with lower socioeconomic status, greater family chaos, or greater maternal depression.",

author = "K Asbury and Dunn, {J F} and A Pike and R Plomin",

year = "2003",

language = "English",

volume = "74",

pages = "933--943",

journal = "Child Development",

issn = "0009-3920",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

number = "3",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Nonshared environmental influences on individual differences in early behavioral development

T2 - A monozygotic twin differences study

AU - Asbury, K

AU - Dunn, J F

AU - Pike, A

AU - Plomin, R

PY - 2003

Y1 - 2003

N2 - The monozygotic (MZ) twin differences method was used to investigate nonshared environmental (NSE) influences independent of genetics. Four-year-old MZ twin pairs (N = 2,353) were assessed by their parents on 2 parenting measures (harsh parental discipline and negative parental feelings) and 4 behavioral measures (anxiety, prosocial behavior, hyperactivity, and conduct problems). Within-pair differences in parenting correlated significantly with MZ differences in behavior, with an average effect size of 3%. For the extreme 10% of the parenting-discordant and behavior-discordant distributions, the average NSE effect size was substantially greater (11%), suggesting a stronger NSE relationship for more discordant twins. NSE relationships were also stronger in higher risk environments, that is, families with lower socioeconomic status, greater family chaos, or greater maternal depression.

AB - The monozygotic (MZ) twin differences method was used to investigate nonshared environmental (NSE) influences independent of genetics. Four-year-old MZ twin pairs (N = 2,353) were assessed by their parents on 2 parenting measures (harsh parental discipline and negative parental feelings) and 4 behavioral measures (anxiety, prosocial behavior, hyperactivity, and conduct problems). Within-pair differences in parenting correlated significantly with MZ differences in behavior, with an average effect size of 3%. For the extreme 10% of the parenting-discordant and behavior-discordant distributions, the average NSE effect size was substantially greater (11%), suggesting a stronger NSE relationship for more discordant twins. NSE relationships were also stronger in higher risk environments, that is, families with lower socioeconomic status, greater family chaos, or greater maternal depression.

M3 - Article

SN - 0009-3920

VL - 74

SP - 933

EP - 943

JO - Child Development

JF - Child Development

IS - 3

ER -