Abstract
Data from three adoption studies are used to test for gene-environment interaction in the development of adolescent antisocial behaviors. Results indicate significant increases in antisocial behaviors when an adoptee has both a genetic factor and an adverse environmental factor present. The increase in number of antisocial behaviors due to both genetic and environmental factors acting together is far greater than the predicted increase from either factor acting alone.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bell, R. Q. (1968). A re-interpretation of the direction of effects in studies of socialization.Psychol. Rev. 75:81–95.
Bohman, M. (1972). A study of adopted children, their background, environment, and adjustment.Acta Paediatr. Scand. 61:90–97.
Bohman, M., Sigvardsson, S., and Cloninger, C. R. (1981). Maternal inheritance of alcohol abuse: Cross-fostering analysis of adopted women.Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 38:965–969.
Bohman, M., Cloninger, C. R., Sigvardsson, S., and von Knorring, A-L. (1982). Predisposition to petty criminality in Swedish adoptees. I. Genetic and environmental heterogeneity.Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 39:1233–1241.
Cadoret, R. J. (1982). Genotype-environment interaction in antisocial behavior.Psychol. Med. 12:235–239.
Cadoret, R. J., and Cain, C. A. (1980). Sex differences in predictors of antisocial behavior in adoptees.Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 37:1171–1175.
Cadoret, R. J., and Cain, C. A. (1981a). Environmental and genetic factors in predicting adolescent antisocial behaviors in adoptees.Psychiat. J. Univ. Ottawa 6:220–225.
Cadoret, R. J., and Cain, C. A. (1981b). Genetic-environmental interaction in adoption studies of antisocial behavior. In Perris, G. Struwe, G., and Jansson, B. (eds.),Biological Psychiatry 1981, Elsevier/North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp. 97–100.
Cadoret, R., Cunningham, L., Loftus, R., and Edwards, J. (1975). Studies of adoptees from psychiatrically disturbed biological parents. II. Temperament, hyperactive, antisocial and developmental variables.J. Pediatr. 87:301–306.
Cloninger, C. R., Bohman, M., and Sigvardsson, S. (1981). Inheritance of alcohol abuse: Cross-fostering analysis of adopted men.Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 38:861–868.
Cloninger, C. R., Sigvardsson, S., Bohman, M., and von Knorring, A-L. (1982). Predisposition to petty criminality in Swedish adoptees. II. Cross-fostering analysis of gene-environment interaction.Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 39:1242–1247.
Cohen, J., and Cohen, P. (1975).Applied Multiple Regression/Correlation Analysis, John Wiley and Sons, New York, p. 115.
Crowe, R. R. (1974). An adoption study of antisocial personality.Arch. Gen. Psychiatr. 31:785–791.
Glueck, S., and Glueck, E. (1968).Delinquents and Nondelinquents in Perspective, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass.
Guze, S. B., Goodwin, D. W., and Crane, J. B. (1970). Criminal recidivism and psychiatric illness.Am. J. Psychiat. 127:832–835.
Hutchings, B., and Mednick, S. A. (1977). Criminality in adoptees and their adoptive and biological parents: A pilot study. In Mednick, S. A., and Christiansen, K. O. (eds.),Biosocial Bases of Criminal Behavior, Gardner Press, New York, pp. 127–141.
Lewis-Beck, M. (1980).Applied Regression, Sage, Beverly Hills, pp. 27, 58–62.
Plomin, R., DeFries, J. D., and Loehlin, J. C. (1977). Genotype-environment interaction and correlation in the analysis of human behavior.Psychol. Bull. 54:309–322.
Robins, L. (1966).Deviant Children Grown Up, Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore.
Rutter, M. (1972).Maternal Deprivation Reassessed, C. Nichols, Great Britain.
Rutter, M. (1979). Family, area and school influences in the genesis of conduct disorders. In Herson, L., Berger, M., and Schaffer, D. (eds.),Aggression and Antisocial Behavior in Children, Pergamon, London, pp. 95–113.
Sigvardsson, S., Cloninger, C. R., Bohman, M., and von Knorring, A-L. (1982). Predisposition to petty criminality in Swedish adoptees. III. Sex differences and validation of the male typology.Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 39:1248–1253.
West, D. J., and Farrington, D. P. (1977).The Delinquent Way of Life, Heinemann, London.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported in part by the Iowa Mental Health Research Fund and the National Council on Alcoholism Grant Q568 (1977).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cadoret, R.J., Cain, C.A. & Crowe, R.R. Evidence for gene-environment interaction in the development of adolescent antisocial behavior. Behav Genet 13, 301–310 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01071875
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01071875