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. 2017 Mar;20(2):10.1111/desc.12355.
doi: 10.1111/desc.12355. Epub 2015 Oct 21.

Difficult temperament and negative parenting in early childhood: a genetically informed cross-lagged analysis

Lauren Micalizzi  1 , Manjie Wang  1 , Kimberly J Saudino  1
Affiliations

Difficult temperament and negative parenting in early childhood: a genetically informed cross-lagged analysis

Lauren Micalizzi et al. Dev Sci. 2017 Mar.

Abstract

A genetically informed longitudinal cross-lagged model was applied to twin data to explore etiological links between difficult temperament and negative parenting in early childhood. The sample comprised 313 monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs. Difficult temperament and negative parenting were assessed at ages 2 and 3 using parent ratings. Both constructs were interrelated within and across age (rs .34-.47) and showed substantial stability (rs .65-.68). Difficult temperament and negative parenting were influenced by genetic and environmental factors at ages 2 and 3. The genetic and nonshared environmental correlations (rs .21-.76) at both ages suggest overlap at the level of etiology between the phenotypes. Significant bidirectional associations between difficult temperament and negative parenting were found. The cross-lagged association from difficult temperament at age 2 to negative parenting at age 3 and from negative parenting at age 2 and difficult temperament at age 3 were due to genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental factors. Substantial novel genetic and nonshared environmental influences emerged at age 3 and suggest change in the etiology of these constructs over time.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. A path diagram of the cross-lagged model shown for one twin
Latent factors appear in circles (i.e. A for genetic factors, C for shared environments, E for nonshared environments). Difficult temperament (DIFF) and negative parenting (NEG) are observed (measured) variables and appear in rectangles. Latent factors at age 3 represent residual variances. Standardized path estimates for the latent factors are indicated by subscripts (e.g. a1, c1, e1). Cross-age stability is represented by b11 and b22, while b12 and b21 indicate cross-lagged effects. Double-headed arrows linking two latent factors represent genetic, shared environmental, or nonshared environmental correlations (i.e. rg1, rc1, re1, rg2, rc2, re2).
Figure 2
Figure 2. The best-fitting cross-lagged model
Latent factors appear in circles (i.e. A for genetic factors, C for shared environments, E for nonshared environments). Difficult temperament (DIFF) and negative parenting (NEG) are observed (measured) variables and appear in rectangles. 95% confidence intervals appear in parentheses.
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