Interplay of genes and early mother–child relationship in the development of self‐regulation from toddler to preschool age

Abstract

Background-A broad capacity for deliberate self-regulation plays a key role in emotion regulation. This longitudinal investigation from infancy to preschool age examines genotype by environment (G × E) interaction in the development of self-regulation, using molecular measures of children's genotypes and observed measures of the quality of early mother-child relationship, as reflected in attachment organization in infancy.

Change in attachment predicts change in emotion regulation particularly among 5-HTTLPR short-allele homozygotes.

“…Here, the effect of attachment at 4 years of age only came out significant with parent reports. Given that previous studies have reported Attachment ϫ 5-HTTLPR effects in preschoolers (Kochanska et al, 2009) and adolescents (Starr et al, 2013;Zimmermann et al, 2009), our mixed GXE results at 6 years of age may be methodological rather than substantial. Notwithstanding, our results discerned a main effect of the SS genotype on emotion regulation at 8 years of age.…”

“…As a result, attachment security, as an environmentally induced regulatory mechanism, could be especially important for the development of emotion regulation among more reactive S carriers. In fact, S carriers have been found to be most affected by their attachment styles with regard to self-regulation in preschool (Kochanska et al, 2009), as well as autonomy and aggression (Zimmermann, Mohr, & Spangler, 2009) and stress and depression (Starr, Hammen, Brennan, & Najman, 2013) in adolescence. Whereas the research by Kochanska et al (2009) proved consistent with the diathesisstress model, the work of Starr et al (2013) and Zimmermann et al (2009) appears more consistent with differential-susceptibility theorizing.…”

“…Thus, in addition to evaluating prospective linkages between changes in attachment security and emotion regulation, we address the question of whether such associations vary as a function of children's genotypes. Here, we focus on the 5-HTTLPRpolymorphic region given its particular role in emotion regulation (Canli & Lesch, 2007) as well as prior work showing that this polymorphism interacts with a variety of developmental experiences and environmental exposures (Canli & Lesch, 2007;van IJzendoorn, Belsky, & Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2012), including attachment disorganization (Kochanska et al, 2009) and maternal unresponsiveness (Davies & Cicchetti, 2014).…”

“…However, beyond the infancy and early childhood years, there has been limited investigation of associations linking attachment and emotion regulation (Borelli et al, 2010;Kim & Page, 2013). This is a notable lacuna, in that research on younger children (e.g., Kochanska, Philibert, & Barry, 2009;Vondra, Shaw, Swearingen, Cohen, & Owens, 2001) may not generalize to older children or across developmental periods. This is no doubt due, at least in part, to the well-known fact that development continues well beyond the early childhood years.…”

Effect of Parent Management Training on Attention, Response Prevention, Impulsivity and Vigilance of Boys with Attention Deficient/Hyperactive Disorder

“…In the other words, executive functioning is shaped (thus influenced) by a complex interplay between these factors (25,26). Evidence suggests that parents' guidance is one of the primary experiences contributing to children's executive function during early childhood (27).…”