The genetic and environmental contributions to oppositional defiant behavior: a multi-informant twin study.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the genetic and environmental contributions to oppositional defiant behavior (ODB) from mother, father, and teacher report using the Conners Revised Short Forms in a large twin sample.


METHODS
ODB data were collected from 1,595 mothers, 1,114 fathers, and 793 teachers of 7-year-old twin pairs from the Netherlands Twin Registry in the 1990-1992 cohort with an 80% response rate. Models were fit for each informant to determine the genetic, environmental, gender, and informant influences on ODB.


RESULTS
Genetic analyses of the ODB quantitative scale showed additive genetic (A) by mother (55%), by father (57%), and by teacher (21% girls, 38% boys) unique environmental (E) (mother, 22%; father, 29%; teacher, 48% girls, 39% boys) and shared environmental (C) (mother, 14%; father, 23%; teacher, 31% girls, 23% boys) influences.


CONCLUSIONS
Additive genetic and unique environmental factors account for the majority of the influences on ODB for boys and girls by all informants.
Hudziak
James J
JJ
Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington 05405, USA. james.hudziak@uvm.edu
Derks
Eske M
EM
Althoff
Robert R
RR
Copeland
William
W
Boomsma
Dorret I
DI
D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D005178:Faculty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005220:Fathers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009426:Netherlands; D015588:Observer Variation; D010641:Phenotype; D012931:Social Environment; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic; D014481:United States