Genetic differential susceptibility to the parent-child relationship quality and the life span development of compassion
Open accessAbstract
The development of compassion for others might be influenced by the social experiences made during childhood and has a genetic component. No research has yet investigated whether the parent–child relationship quality interacts with genetic variation in the oxytocin and dopamine systems in predicting compassion over the life span. In the prospective Young Finns Study (N= 2099, 43.9% men), we examined the interaction between mother‐reported emotional warmth and intolerance toward their child assessed in 1980 (age of participants, 3–18 years) and two established genetic risk scores for oxytocin levels and dopamine signaling activity. Dispositional compassion for others was measured with the Temperament and Character Inventory 1997, 2001, and 2012 (age of participants, 20–50 years). We found a gene–environment interaction (p= .031) that remained marginally significant after adjustment for multiple testing. In line with the differential susceptibility hypothesis, only participants who carry alleles associated with low dopamine signaling activity had higher levels of compassion when growing up with emotionally warm parents, whereas they had lower levels of compassion when their parents were emotionally cold. Children's genetic variability in the dopamine system might result in plasticity to early environmental influences that have a long‐lasting effect on the development of compassion. However, our findings need replication.
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Variations in the DBH gene interacted with childhood parenting experiences to affect maternal behaviour and compassion levels.
“In the other study, variations in the DA beta-hydroxylase (DBH) gene, which influences DA signalling, interacted with childhood parenting experiences to affect maternal behaviour and compassion levels (Dobewall et al., 2021).”
From Convergence of oxytocin and dopamine signalling in neuronal circuits: Insights into the neurobiology of social interactions across species (2024) · cites this paper as Dobewall et al., 2021
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Rappeneau, V., & Castillo Díaz, F. (2024) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105675 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
“In the other study, variations in the DA beta-hydroxylase (DBH) gene, which influences DA signalling, interacted with childhood parenting experiences to affect maternal behaviour and compassion levels (Dobewall et al., 2021).”
Background
- Authors
- Dobewall, H., Keltikangas‐Järvinen, L., Saarinen, A., Lyytikäinen, L., Zwir, I., Cloninger, R., Raitakari, O. T., Lehtimäki, T., & Hintsanen, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Helsinki (FI)
- Tampere University (FI)
- Universidad de Granada (ES)
- Washington University in St. Louis (US)
- University of Turku (FI)
- University of Oulu (FI)
- Corresponding author
- Dobewall, Henrik
- ORCID
- Venue
- Developmental Psychobiology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2021-08-22
- Volume
- 63
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- e22184-e22184
- ISSN
- 0012-1630 (ISSN-L)
- 1098-2302
- OpenAlex
- W3195116739
- Cited by
- 2
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2024: 1
- FWCI
- 0.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Developmental Psychobiology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UTUPub (University of Turku) (submittedVersion)
- Institutional Repository of the University of Granada (University of Granada) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja (submittedVersion)
- Tampere University Institutional Repository (Tampere University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Academy of Finland (308676, 286284, 134309, 126925, 121584, 124282, 129378, 117787, 41071, 322098)
- Juho Vainion Säätiö
- Yrjö Jahnssonin Säätiö
- Paavo Nurmen Säätiö
- Sydäntutkimussäätiö
- Suomen Kulttuurirahasto
- Tampereen TuberkuloosisäätiÖ
- Emil Aaltosen Säätiö
- Signe ja Ane Gyllenbergin Säätiö
- European Research Council (742927)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Keywords
- compassion, differential susceptibility hypothesis, gene-environment interaction, parent-child relationship, emotional warmth, oxytocin, dopamine signaling, polygenic risk score, lifespan development, temperament, Young Finns Study
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Child, Child, Preschool, Empathy, Female, Humans, Longevity, Male, Middle Aged, Parent-Child Relations, Prospective Studies, Temperament, Young Adult
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