Cited by 139Bullying, Victimization, and AggressionNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

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Human Aggression Across the Lifespan

Open access
Tuvblad, Catherine, Baker, Laura A.·2011·Advances in Genetics

Abstract

This chapter reviews the recent evidence of genetic and environmental influences on human aggression. Findings from a large selection of the twin and adoption studies that have investigated the genetic and environmental architecture of aggressive behavior are summarized. These studies together show that about half (50%) of the variance in aggressive behavior is explained by genetic influences in both males and females, with the remaining 50% of the variance being explained by environmental factors not shared by family members. Form of aggression (reactive, proactive, direct/physical, indirect/relational), method of assessment (laboratory observation, self-report, ratings by parents and teachers), and age of the subjects—all seem to be significant moderators of the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on aggressive behavior. Neither study design (twin vs. sibling adoption design) nor sex (male vs. female) seems to impact the magnitude of the genetic and environmental influences on aggression. There is also some evidence of gene-environment interaction (G × E) from both twin/adoption studies and molecular genetic studies. Various measures of family adversity and social disadvantage have been found to moderate genetic influences on aggressive behavior. Findings from these G × E studies suggest that not all individuals will be affected to the same degree by experiences and exposures, and that genetic predispositions may have different effects depending on the environment.

Overview

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TL;DR

This chapter reviews twin, adoption, and molecular genetic evidence on human aggression, concluding that about 50% of variance in aggressive behavior is explained by genetic influences and about 50% by nonshared environment, with form, assessment method, and age moderating these estimates. It also reviews G×E findings showing that family adversity and social disadvantage can moderate genetic influences on aggression.

Key findings

  • Across twin and adoption studies, genetic influences explain about half (50%) of variance in aggressive behavior in both males and females, with the remaining 50% explained by nonshared environment; shared environment is small or nonexistent. Meta-analytic estimates vary: Miles and Carey (1997) reported ~50% genetic/50% nonshared; Rhee and Waldman (2002) reported 41% genetic, 16% shared, 43% nonshared for antisocial behavior; Burt (2009) reported 65% genetic, 5% shared, 30% nonshared for child/adolescent aggression.
  • Sex does not appreciably moderate heritability: weighted twin correlations were rMZ males 0.66, females 0.63; rDZ males 0.42, females 0.35; opposite-sex DZ 0.38. Burt (2009) reported genetic influences explaining 54% of variance in boys and 57% in girls.
  • Age, assessment method, and aggression form moderate estimates. Burt (2009): genetic influences increased from 55.2% at ages 1–5 to 62.7% at 6–10 and 62.9% at 11–18, while shared environment decreased from 18.7% to 13.9% to 2.7%. By method: lab observation h2 ~32%, d2 ~10%, e2 58%; self-report h2 40%, e2 60%; teacher h2 54%, c2 6%, e2 40%; parent/caregiver h2 54%, c2 17%, e2 29%. Relational aggression self-report h2 49%, e2 51%; parent ratings boys h2 21%, c2 46%, e2 33%, girls h2 42%, c2 22%, e2 36%. Reactive/proactive genetic correlation <1.0; stability reactive genetic 48%, shared 11%, nonshared 41%; proactive primarily genetic 85%.
  • G×E evidence: in ~800 Swedish adoptees, criminality was 40% when both inherited and environmental risk were present, 12.1% with genetic only, 6.7% with environmental only, 2.7% with neither (Cloninger et al., 1982). In 1116 5-year-old British twin pairs, maltreatment increased conduct problems more among children with high genetic liability (Jaffee et al., 2005). In Swedish 16–17-year-old twins, heritability for antisocial/aggressive behavior was higher in affluent neighborhoods (boys 37%, girls 69%) than less advantaged (boys 1%, girls 61%), while shared environment was higher in less advantaged (boys 69%, girls 16%) than better-off (boys 13%, girls 6%). MAOA×maltreatment (Caspi et al., 2002) and meta-analytic support (Kim-Cohen et al., 2006) are also reviewed.

Methods

  • Design: narrative review of twin and sibling adoption studies, meta-analyses, and molecular genetic studies of aggressive behavior; includes tables summarizing a large selection of studies and discussion of G×E designs.
  • Data/sample: nonselected twin and adoption samples from North America and Europe, from preschool children to adults; over two dozen twin studies and a handful of adoption studies. Specific longitudinal twin studies include RFAB (>750 twin pairs at ages 9–10, 11–13, 14–16, 17–18), E-risk (>1000 twin pairs at ages 5, 7, 12), and MTFS. Meta-analyses reviewed include 24 twin/adoption studies (Miles & Carey, 1997), 51 twin/adoption studies (Rhee & Waldman, 2002), and 19 child/adolescent twin/adoption studies (Burt, 2009).
  • Main analysis: descriptive comparison of MZ/DZ and biological/adoptive sibling correlations to estimate additive genetic, nonadditive genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental variance; meta-analytic summaries; G×E tested via mean-level and moderated variance-components approaches in twin/adoption studies and via measured gene-by-measured environment interactions in molecular studies.

Limitations

  • Stated in the paper: most studies used childhood samples (≤12 years), with fewer adolescent/adult studies; age and assessment method are confounded; twin-correlation summaries are descriptive and not formal modeling; rater bias may inflate twin similarity; adoption-study generalizability is limited because adoptive parents tend to be higher SES and adoptees show higher aggression; twin design assumptions (equal environments, random mating, no gene-environment correlation/interaction) may be violated, especially assortative mating for antisocial/aggressive behavior; G×E studies have low power and are rare; no genetically informative studies of violent video game exposure or alcohol use as moderators; MAOA×maltreatment has few replications and failed to replicate in females and African Americans.
  • Evident from the text: the review is not systematic/exhaustive (“large selection”), many studies combined males and females making sex-limitation analyses impossible, and no study examined genetic/environmental overlap between relational aggression and other forms (proactive/reactive); no twin/adoption studies of aggression in authoritative situations like Milgram or Stanford prison are noted.

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Crossref · 10.1016/b978-0-12-380858-5.00007-1

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  • It may state two separate claims as one. 79
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  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Monozygotic twins share 100% of their genes.

    “In the classical twin design, monozygotic (identical) twins share their common environment and they are assumed to share 100% of their genes.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Dizygotic twins share on average 50% of their genes.

    “Dizygotic (fraternal) twins also share their common environment and they are assumed to share on average 50% of their genes.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Adoption studies assume random placement of adoptees into homes.

    “In adoption studies, the most important factors are (1) random placement of the adoptees into homes and (2) generalizability.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Twins and singletons display equal rates of aggressive behavior.

    “It can, therefore, be assumed that twins and singletons display equal rates of aggressive behavior.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Environmentally caused similarity is roughly equal for MZ and DZ twins.

    “It is assumed that environmentally caused similarity is roughly equal for both MZ and DZ twins.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Mating for aggression in the parents of twins is random.

    “The assumption of random mating for aggression in the parents of the twins is also important to consider”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Genetic and environmental influences combine additively and are uncorrelated.

    “It is also assumed in the classical twin design that genetic and environmental influences combine additively (i.e., do not interact) and are uncorrelated.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    MZ twins share 100% of their genes and DZ twins on average share 50% of their genes.

    “MZ twins, who are assumed to share 100% of their genes, are compared to DZ twins, who are assumed to on average share 50% of their genes.”
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Metadata

Authors
Tuvblad, C., & Baker, L. A.
Affiliations
University of Southern California (US)
Venue
Advances in Genetics
Publisher
Elsevier
Published
2011
Volume
75
Pages
171-214
ISSN
0065-2660 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W80101838
Cited by
139
References
181
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 1
FWCI
18.81
Type
book chapter
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Advances in genetics (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH058354)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Keywords
human aggression, genetic factors, environmental influences, twin studies, adoption studies, gene-environment interaction, reactive aggression, proactive aggression, family adversity, social deprivation, heritability, lifespan development
MeSH terms
Adoption, Age Factors, Aggression, Female, Genetics, Behavioral, Humans, Male, Sex Factors, Social Environment, Violence, Twin Studies as Topic, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Gene-Environment Interaction

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