Change in parenting, change in student–teacher relationships, and oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR): Testing a gene-×-environment (G×E) hypothesis in two samples.

Abstract

Prior research suggests that parenting affects children's relationships, including those with teachers, although there is variation across individuals in such effects. Given evidence suggesting that oxytocin may be particularly important for the quality of social relationships, we tested the hypotheses (a) that change in parenting from 4 to 6 years of age influences and predicts change in the student-teacher relationship from 6 to 8 years of age and (b) that this effect is moderated by a polymorphism related to the child's oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), rs53576. In 2 studies, participants included, respectively, 652 socioeconomically diverse Norwegian children from a community sample (50.8% male; mean age of 54.9 months at first assessment) and 559 such children from 8 different U.S. locales (49.0% male; approximately 54 months at the first assessment). Norwegian results showed that change in parenting predicted change in student-teacher relationships, but only in the case of children homozygous for the A allele of rs53576 and in a manner consistent with differential-susceptibility theory: for AA carriers, when parenting changed for the worse, so did children's relationship with teachers, whereas when parenting changed for the better, the teacher-child relationships improved accordingly. Such GϫE findings could not be replicated in the American sample. Results are discussed in terms of 2 contrasting models of Person-ϫ-Environment interaction (differential susceptibility and diathesis stress) and potential reasons for failure to replicate.

Oxytocin-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms, family environment, and psychopathic traits.

“…These studies have shown that the "protective" allele (G allele) of OXTR rs53576 moderates relationships between parental caregiving quality and social/mental health functioning in children and adults (McDonald, Baker, & Messinger, 2016;Reiner, Frieling, Beutel, & Michal, 2016). In contrast, Hygen et al (2017) observed that change in a child's parenting quality only predicted changes in the child's relationships with teachers if the child was an AA (not G) carrier on OXTR rs53576. This emerging inconsistency and the lack of gene-environment studies involving adult psychopathy suggests more research is needed.…”

Parent-Adolescent Conflict, Peer Victimization, and Internet Gaming Disorder Among Chinese Adolescents: The Moderating Effect of OXTR Gene rs53576 Polymorphism

“…A study provides evidence for a genetic association between OXTR gene polymorphism and social media use [29]. Accumulating empirical studies a rm that rs53576 is closely related to parenting [30], peer relationships [31], and other problem behaviors [32,33]. Furthermore, research shows that rs53576 can moderate the association between environmental factors and problem behaviors among adolescents [31,32].…”

“…Previous studies have found that adolescents with a particular genotype of rs53576 are more likely to be maladjusted when facing negative situations and bene t more from positive situations. For example, Hygen et al [30] conveyed that positive parenting predicted high-level student-teacher relationships, and inadequate parenting predicted higher deterioration of student-teacher relationships for children with AA homozygotes of rs53576. Notably, no effects of parenting were reported on student-teacher relationships among G allele children.…”

Reciprocal Relations Between Conflicted Student-teacher Relationship and Children’s Behavior Problems: Within-person Analyses from Norway and the USA

“…To illustrate, high levels of negative emotionality and limited effortful control have been found to predict behavior problems (Wichstrøm et al, 2018 ), as well as undermine student-teacher relationships–beyond what may be caused by prior, and even covaried, behavior problems, in efforts to predict change in problems over time (Rudasill et al, 2010 ). Problematical parenting is another potential source of confounding, given its links to problem behavior (Miner & Clarke-Stewart, 2008 ) and difficult teacher-child relationships, one that is not entirely discounted by controlling for prior behavior problems (Hygen et al, 2017 ). From a demographic stance, low socio-economic status is associated with more behavior problems (Bradley & Corwyn, 2002 ) as well as greater student-teacher conflict (Rudasill et al, 2010 ).…”

“…Once again, this would seem to be the result of controlling for time invariant between-person effects from the CLPM estimates so that only actual within-person processes are estimated. Of course, we were not positioned to identify these confounding factors, but there is no shortage of influential suspects at the level of the child, such as genetics (Brendgen et al, 2011 ), attention problems (Bellanti et al, 2000 ), temperamental traits (Valiente et al, 2003 ) and personality traits (Zee et al, 2013 ); the level of the teacher, such as teacher stress (Yoon, 2002 ), and classroom management strategies (Korpershoek et al, 2016 ); or other contextual factors, such as parenting practices (Hygen et al, 2017 ) and low socio-economic status (Bradley & Corwyn, 2002 ). This is a task awaiting future research.…”