Genetic and environmental mediation between measures of personality and family environment in twins reared together.

Full Abstract

In this study we analyzed the etiology of the relationship between personality traits and retrospectively recalled family environment. The data of 226 identical and 168 fraternal twin pairs reared together from the Jena twin study of social attitudes were available. Personality traits were measured using the self- and peer report versions of the German NEO-personality inventory-revised. A German version of Blocks Environmental Questionnaire was applied to measure two broad dimensions of the family environment retrospectively: support and organization. We could replicate earlier findings that retrospective reports of these family environment dimensions were in part genetically influenced. A total of 66% of the genetic variance in support and 24% in organization could be accounted for by heritable variance in self-rated personality. That was replicated by using peer reports of personality, 41% explained genetic variance in support and 17% in organization. Environmental mediations were negligible. This indicates that the relationship between personality and retrospectively recalled family environment is largely genetically mediated.

Author information

Author/s: Kandler, Christian (C); Riemann, Rainer (R); Kämpfe, Nicole (N);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Bielefeld, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany. christian.kandler(-atsign-)uni-bielefeld.de

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Twin Study

Journal: Behavior genetics (Behav Genet), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Jan; vol 39 (issue 1) : pp 24-35

Dates: Created 2008/12/18; Completed 2009/02/27;

PMID: 19005750, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 3/10/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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