Lewis, Gary, Asbury, Kathryn orcid.org/0000-0003-0011-457X and Plomin, Robert (2017) Externalizing problems in childhood and adolescence predict subsequent educational achievement but for different genetic and environmental reasons. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry. pp. 292-304. ISSN 1469-7610
Abstract
Background: Childhood behavior problems predict subsequent educational achievement; however, little research has examined the etiology of these links using a longitudinal twin design. Moreover, it is unknown whether genetic and environmental innovations provide incremental prediction for educational achievement from childhood to adolescence. Methods: We examined genetic and environmental influences on parental ratings of behavior problems across childhood (age 4) and adolescence (ages 12 and 16) as predictors of educational achievement at age 16 using a longitudinal classical twin design. Results: Shared-environmental influences on anxiety, conduct problems, and peer problems at age 4 predicted educational achievement at age 16. Genetic influences on the externalizing behaviors of conduct problems and hyperactivity at age 4 predicted educational achievement at age 16. Moreover, novel genetic and (to a lesser extent) nonshared-environmental influences acting on conduct problems and hyperactivity emerged at ages 12 and 16, adding to the genetic prediction from age 4. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that genetic and shared-environmental factors underpinning behavior problems in early childhood predict educational achievement in mid-adolescence. These findings are consistent with the notion that early-childhood behavior problems reflect the initiation of a life-course persistent trajectory with concomitant implications for social attainment. However, we also find evidence that genetic and nonshared-environment innovations acting on behavior problems have implications for subsequent educational achievement, consistent with recent work arguing that adolescence represents a sensitive period for socio-affective development.
Metadata
Authors/Creators: |
|
---|---|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2016 The Authors. |
Keywords: | education, genetics, Longitudinal, twin study, behavior problems, SDQ, Education, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, longitudinal, Conduct Disorder/etiology, Prognosis, Humans, Wales, Child, Preschool, England, Peer Group, Male, Educational Status, Social Behavior, Female, Child, Interpersonal Relations, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/etiology, Anxiety/etiology, Adolescent, Environment, Longitudinal Studies |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Social Sciences (York) > Education (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 10 Nov 2016 11:19 |
Last Modified: | 06 Dec 2023 11:30 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12655 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12655 |
Related URLs: |
Downloads
Filename: Lewis_Asbury_Plomin_JCPP_R2_submitted_09.09.16.pdf
Description: Externalizing problems in childhood and adolescence predict subsequent educational achievement but for different genetic and environmental reasons
Licence: CC-BY 2.5