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Negative emotionality and externalizing problems in toddlerhood: Overreactive parenting as a moderator of genetic influences

Shannon T. Lipscomb^a1 c1, Leslie D. Leve^a2, Daniel S. Shaw^a3, Jenae M. Neiderhiser^a4, Laura V. Scaramella^a5, Xiaojia Ge^a6, Rand D. Conger^a7, John B. Reid^a2 and David Reiss^a8

^a1 Oregon State University

^a2 Oregon Social Learning Center

^a3 University of Pittsburgh

^a4 Pennsylvania State University

^a5 University of New Orleans

^a6 University of Minnesota

^a7 University of California, Davis

^a8 Yale Child Study Center

Abstract

The current study examines the interplay between parental overreactivity and children's genetic backgrounds as inferred from birth parent characteristics on the development of negative emotionality during infancy, and in turn, to individual differences in externalizing problems in toddlerhood. The sample included 361 families linked through adoption (birth parents and adoptive families). Data were collected when the children were 9, 18, and 27 months old. Results indicated links between individual levels and changes in negative emotionality during infancy and toddlerhood to externalizing problems early in the third year of life. Findings also revealed an interaction between birth mother negative affect and adoptive mother overreactive parenting on children's negative emotionality. This Genotype × Environment interaction predicted externalizing problems indirectly through its association with negative emotionality and revealed stronger effects of genetic risk for children with less overreactive parenting from their mothers. Limitations of this study and directions for future research are discussed.

Correspondence:

^c1 Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Shannon T. Lipscomb, Oregon State University Cascades Campus, 2600 NW College Way, Bend, OR 97701; E-mail: shannon.lipscomb@osucascades.edu.

Footnotes

This project was supported by Grant R01 HD042608 from NICHD, NIDA, and the Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH), US Public Health Service (PHS; Years 1–5: David Reiss, Principal Investigator [PI]; Years 6–10: Leslie Leve, PI). The writing of this manuscript was partially supported by Grants R01 DA020585 (Jenae Neiderhiser, PI), R01 DA024672 (Leslie Leve, PI), and P30 DA023920 (John Reid, PI) from NIDA, NIH, US PHS. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development or the NIH. The contributions of the late Remi Cadoret, Beverly Fagot, and Xiaojia Ge to this work and the ongoing study are immeasurable.