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Caregiving and 5‐HTTLPR Genotype Predict Adolescent Physiological Stress Reactivity: Confirmatory Tests of Gene × Environment Interactions
Author(s) -
Sumner Jennifer A.,
McLaughlin Katie A.,
Walsh Kate,
Sheridan Margaret A.,
Koenen Karestan C.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.12357
Subject(s) - psychology , diathesis , 5 httlpr , diathesis–stress model , developmental psychology , genotype , allele , confirmatory factor analysis , clinical psychology , reactivity (psychology) , serotonin transporter , structural equation modeling , genetics , gene , immunology , medicine , statistics , mathematics , medical tourism , tourism , biology , political science , law , alternative medicine , pathology
A theory‐driven confirmatory approach comparing diathesis–stress and differential susceptibility models of Gene × Environment (G × E) interactions was applied to examine whether 5‐HTTLPR genotype moderated the effect of early maternal caregiving on autonomic nervous system ( ANS ) stress reactivity in 113 adolescents aged 13–17 years. Findings supported a differential susceptibility, rather than diathesis–stress, framework. Carriers of one or more 5‐HTTLPR short alleles ( SS / SL carriers) reporting higher quality caregiving exhibited approach ANS responses to a speech task, whereas those reporting lower quality caregiving exhibited withdrawal ANS responses. Carriers of two 5‐HTTLPR long alleles ( LL carriers) were unaffected by caregiving. Findings suggest that 5‐HTTLPR genotype and early caregiving in interaction are associated with ANS stress reactivity in adolescents in a “for better and for worse” fashion, and they demonstrate the promise of confirmatory methods for testing G × E interactions.