Maternal Expressed Emotion Predicts Children's Antisocial Behavior Problems: Using Monozygotic-Twin Differences to Identify Environmental Effects on Behavioral Development.

Abstract

If maternal expressed emotion is an environmental risk factor for children's antisocial behavior problems, it should account for behavioral differences between siblings growing up in the same family even after genetic influences on children's behavior problems are taken into account. This hypothesis was tested in the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study with a nationally representative 1994-1995 birth cohort of twins. The authors interviewed the mothers of 565 five-year-old monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs and established which twin in each family received more negative emotional expression and which twin received more warmth. Within MZ pairs, the twin receiving more maternal negativity and less warmth had more antisocial behavior problems. Qualitative interviews were used to generate hypotheses about why mothers treat their children differently. The results suggest that maternal emotional attitudes toward children may play a causal role in the development of antisocial behavior and illustrate how genetically informative research can inform tests of socialization hypotheses.

Parental brain‐derived neurotrophic factor genotype, child prosociality, and their interaction as predictors of parents’ warmth

“…Differential parenting has been associated with negative child outcomes such as depressive symptoms (Shanahan, McHale, Crouter, & Osgood, 2008), oppositional behavior (Meunier, Bisceglia, & Jenkins, 2012), and antisocial behavior (Caspi et al., 2004). The current findings mark the parents’ genetic makeup as a potential candidate for future research on the etiology of differential parenting.…”

Differential parent-child relationships and adolescent externalizing symptoms: Cross-lagged analyses within a monozygotic twin differences design.

“…First, as noted by Caspi et al (2004), they controlled for continuity in antisocial behavior over time but were not able to control for similar continuity in maternal expressed emotion (as it was not assessed at age 7 years). Accordingly, it remains possible that the association between maternal expressed Second, as noted by Asbury et al (2003) and Caspi et al (2004), studies of nonshared environmental effects typically interpret their findings within a parent-driven framework such that differential parental treatment causes sibling differences in child outcomes. However, these conclusions may be premature.…”

“…First, as noted by Caspi et al (2004), they controlled for continuity in antisocial behavior over time but were not able to control for similar continuity in maternal expressed emotion (as it was not assessed at age 7 years). Accordingly, it remains possible that the association between maternal expressed emotion and child antisocial behavior is, in part, a function of the stability of maternal expressed emotion.…”

“…Accordingly, it remains possible that the association between maternal expressed emotion and child antisocial behavior is, in part, a function of the stability of maternal expressed emotion. Thus, it is necessary for researchers to determine whether the longitudinally predictive aspects of the measured nonshared environment identified in Caspi et al (2004) persist over and above the stabilities of both parenting and antisocial behavior.…”

“…Second, as noted by Asbury et al (2003) and Caspi et al (2004), studies of nonshared environmental effects typically interpret their findings within a parent-driven framework such that differential parental treatment causes sibling differences in child outcomes. However, these conclusions may be premature.…”