title: Genetic and environmental mechanisms underlying stability and change in problem behaviors at ages 3, 7, 10, and 12.
abstract: Maternal ratings on internalizing (INT) and externalizing (EXT) behaviors were collected in a large, population-based longitudinal sample. The numbers of participating twin pairs at ages 3, 7, 10, and 12 were 5,602, 5,115, 2,956, and 1,481, respectively. Stability in both behaviors was accounted for by genetic and shared environmental influences. The genetic contribution to stability (INT: 43%; EXT: 60%) resulted from the fact that a subset of genes expressed at an earlier age was still active at the next time point. A common set of shared environmental factors operated at all ages (INT: 47%; EXT: 34%). The modest contribution of nonshared environmental factors (INT: 10%; EXT: 6%) could not be captured by a simple model. Significant age-specific influences were found for all components, indicating that genetic and environmental factors also contributed to changes in problem behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands. m.bartels@psy.vu.nl
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bartels
authors.forename: E J C G
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: van den Oord
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hudziak
authors.forename: M J H
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rietveld
authors.forename: C E M
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: van Beijsterveldt
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Boomsma
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008957:Models, Genetic; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009426:Netherlands; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010641:Phenotype; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology