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Cited by 19Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentAttachment and Relationship DynamicsPsychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research

Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met genotype moderates the effect of disorganized attachment on social development in young children

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Hygen, Beate Wold, Guzey, Ismail Cuneyt, Belsky, Jay, Berg-Nielsen, Turid Suzanne, Wichstrøm, Lars·2014·Development and Psychopathology
DOI 10.1017/s0954579414000492
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Abstract

Children with histories of disorganized attachment exhibit diverse problems, possibly because disorganization takes at least two distinctive forms as children age: controlling–punitive and controlling–caregiving. This variation in the developmental legacy of disorganization has been attributed primarily to variations in children's rearing experiences. Here an alternative explanation of these divergent sequelae of disorganization is evaluated: one focused on genotype. Structural equation modeling was applied to data on 704 Norwegian children to test whether the catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met genotype moderates the effect of disorganized attachment, which was measured dimensionally at 4 years of age using the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task, on changes in aggressive behavior and social competence from ages 4 to 6. Children who scored high on disorganization and were homozygous for the valine allele displayed significantly greater increases in aggression and decreases in self-oriented social skills (e.g., self-regulation and assertiveness) over time than did their disorganized counterparts carrying the methionine allele, whereas disorganized children carrying the methionine allele increased their other-oriented social skill (e.g., cooperation and responsibility) scores more than did valine-homozygous children. These results are consistent with the controlling–punitive and controlling–caregiving behaviors observed in disorganized children, suggesting that the children's genotype contributed to variations in the social development of disorganized children.

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  • High disorganization combined with MetMet genotype led to a significant decrease in aggression over time.

    “High disorganization + MetMet -> significant decrease in aggression over time”

    From Genetics of child aggression, a systematic review (2024) · cites this paper as Hygen [65]

    The Primary analyses (p. 9) report a significant decrease in aggression with greater disorganization among methionine carriers, and the high-disorganization subgroup showed the greatest decrease from ages 4 to 6. But the analyses grouped Met/Met with Val/Met children (Predictor variables, p. 7); the paper does not report a significant decrease specifically for Met/Met children. A secondary analysis found no difference between the two methionine-carrying groups (p. 11). (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • In a birth cohort study, among children who scored high on disorganized attachment, Val/Val carriers exhibited greater increase in aggression from 4 years to 6 years of age than Met-allele carriers.

    “For example, in a birth cohort study, among children who scored high on disorganized attachment, Val/Val carriers exhibited greater increase in aggression from 4 years to 6 years of age than Met-allele carriers [65].”

    From Genetics of child aggression, a systematic review (2024) · cites this paper as [65]

  • High disorganization combined with ValVal genotype led to a greater increase in aggression over time.

    “High disorganization + ValVal -> greater increase in aggression over time”

    From Genetics of child aggression, a systematic review (2024) · cites this paper as Hygen [65]

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Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. Dunn, M. L., & Dunn, M. L. (1997). Examiner's manual for the PPVT-III: Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (3rd ed.). Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.
  2. Lachman, H. M., Morrow, B., Shprintzen, R., Veit, S., Parsia, S. S., Faedda, G., et al. (1996). Association of codon 108/158 catecholO -methyltransferase gene polymorphism with the psychiatric manifestations of velo-cardio-facial syndrome. American Journal of Medical Genetics , 67 , 468-472.
  3. Minnis, H., Green, J., O'Connor, T. G., & Liew, A. (2009). Reactive attachment disorder and attachment patterns: Evidence for the overlap. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry , 50 , 931-942.
  4. Muthe ´n, L. K., & Muthe ´n, B. O. (1998-2012). Mplus user's guide (7th ed.). Los Angeles: Author.
  5. Weinshilboum, R. M., Otterness, D. M., & Szumlanski, C. L. (1999). Methylation pharmacogenetics: CatecholOmethyltransferase, thiopurine methyltransferase, and histamine N -methyltransferase. Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology , 39 , 19-52.
  6. Williams, K. T., & Wang, J.-J. (1997). Technical references to the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third edition (PPVT-III) . Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.

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Authors
Hygen, B. W., Guzey, I. C., Belsky, J., Berg-Nielsen, T. S., & Wichstrøm, L.
Affiliations
  • Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NO)
  • King Abdulaziz University (SA)
Corresponding author
Hygen, Beate Wold
ORCID
Venue
Development and Psychopathology
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Published
2014-06-10
Volume
26
Issue
4pt1
Pages
947-961
ISSN
  • 0954-5794 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-2198
DOI
10.1017/s0954579414000492
OpenAlex
W2108694725
Cited by
19
References
119
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2
FWCI
2.76
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Development and Psychopathology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
  • NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
Keywords
catechol-O-methyltransferase, COMT Val158Met polymorphism, disorganized attachment, aggression, social competence, self-regulation, assertiveness, cooperation, young children
MeSH terms
Aggression, Alleles, Catechol O-Methyltransferase, Child, Child Development, Child, Preschool, Female, Genotype, Humans, Male, Object Attachment, Social Adjustment, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Social Skills

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