Sex differences in the genetic and environmental influences on the development of antisocial behavior
Abstract
The present study uses a population-based sample of 6.806 adult twins from same-sex and opposite-sex twin pairs to examine sex differences in the underlying genetic and environmental architecture of the development of antisocial behavior (AB). Retrospective reports of AB during three different developmental periods were obtained: prior to age 15 years (childhood), age 15-17 years (adolescent), and age 18 years and older (adult). Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that there was no evidence for sex-specific genetic or sex-specific shared family environmental influences on the development of AB; that is, the types of genetic and environmental influence were similar for males and females. For both sexes, a model that allowed for genetic influences on adolescent and adult AB that were not shared with childhood AB fit better than a model with a single genetic factor. In contrast, shared environmental influences on adolescent and adult AB overlapped entirely with shared environmental influences on childhood AB. Genetic factors played a larger role in variation in childhood AB among females, whereas shared environmental factors played a larger role among males. However, heritability of AB increased from childhood to adolescence and adulthood for both sexes, and the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on adolescent and adult AB was approximately equal across sex. We speculate that sex differences in timing of puberty may account for the earlier presence of genetic effects among females.
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Studies that have examined the equal environment assumption have generally shown that the assumption is fully justified.
“Studies that have examined the EEA have generally shown that the assumption is fully justified (see for example, Jacobson et al 2002).”
From Genetic and environmental influences on impulsivity: A meta-analysis of twin, family and adoption studies (2011) · cites this paper as Jacobson et al 2002
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- Authors
- JACOBSON, K. C., PRESCOTT, C. A., & KENDLER, K. S.
- Affiliations
- Virginia Commonwealth University (US)
- Venue
- Development and Psychopathology
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2002-05-15
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 395-416
- ISSN
- 0954-5794 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-2198
- OpenAlex
- W2118324733
- Cited by
- 134
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 6.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Development and Psychopathology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5k05mh001277-05)
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (R01AA009095, AA-09095)
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH/AA 49492, MH-01277, R01MH040828, MH 40828)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime Patterns and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- antisocial behavior, sex differences, heritability, genetic factors, shared environmental factors, family environment, childhood antisocial behavior, adolescent antisocial behavior, puberty timing, twin studies
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Antisocial Personality Disorder, Child, Diseases in Twins, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Personality Development, Risk Factors, Sex Factors, Social Environment, Twins, Dizygotic, Twins, Monozygotic
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