Perceived Family Cohesion Moderates Environmental Influences on Prosocial Behavior in Nigerian Adolescent Twins

Abstract

Research shows that perceived family cohesion is positively related to prosocial behavior in adolescents. In this study, we investigated heritability of prosocial behavior (PB) and perceived family cohesion (FC) among Nigerian twins attending public schools in Lagos State, Nigeria (mean age = 14.7 years, SD = 1.7 years), and explored the issue of whether children's perception of cohesive family environment moderated genetic and environmental influences on (PB). The PB scale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the FC scale of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale III were completed by 2,376 twins (241 monozygotic (MZ) male, 354 MZ female, 440 dizygotic (DZ) male, 553 DZ female, and 788 opposite-sex DZ twins). A general sex-limitation and the bivariate genotype by environment interaction (G×E) models were applied to the data. The general sex-limitation model showed no significant sex differences, indicating that additive genetic and non-shared environmental influences were, 38% (95% CI = 31, 46) and 62% (95% CI = 54, 69) for PB and 33% (95% CI = 24, 40) and 67% (95% CI = 60, 76) for FC in both sexes. These estimates were similar to those found in Western and Asian twin studies to date. The correlation between PB and FC was 0.36. The best-fitting bivariate G×E model indicated that FC significantly moderated non-shared environmental influence unique to PB (E×E interaction). Specifically, non-shared environmental contributions to PB were highest when FC was lowest, and decreased as the levels of FC increased. However, genetic variances in PB were stable across all levels of FC. These findings suggest that FC reduces individual differences in PB by changing non-shared environmental experiences rather than genetic factors in PB.

Prosocial and self‐interested intra‐twin pair behavior in monozygotic and dizygotic twins in the early to middle childhood transition

“…There is consistent evidence supporting the role of genetics in individual differences in prosocial behavior (e.g., Gregory, Light-Häusermann, Rijsdijk, & Eley, 2009;Hur, Taylor, Jeong, Park, & Haberstick, 2017; see Knafo-Noam, Vertsberger, & Israel, 2018, for review). This has been supported with parent-reported and labbased prosocial behavior in subsamples of the current twins (Knafo et al, 2011;Knafo-Noam, Uzefovsky, Israel, Davidov, & Zahn-Waxler, 2015).…”

Religious Attendance Moderates the Environmental Effect on Prosocial Behavior in Nigerian Adolescents

“…The difference between monozygotic and dizygotic correlations for PB was larger in females than in males, suggesting that genetic effects on PB may be larger in females than in males. However, model-fitting analysis indicated that the magnitudes of genetic and environmental effects were not significantly different between the two sexes (Hur et al, 2017). Polychoric correlations for FRA were 0.78 (95% CI = 0.63, 0.88) for MZM, 0.64 (95% CI = 0.51, 0.74) for DZM, 0.75 (95% CI = 0.64, 0.84) for MZF, 0.76 (95% CI = 0.67, 0.83) for DZF and 0.76 (95% CI = 0.68, 0.82) for OSDZ twins.…”

The Nigerian Twin and Sibling Registry: An Update

“…We also hope that the NTSR can be expanded to include children and adolescents in private schools in Nigeria in the near future to better assess the effects of socioeconomic status on human psychological development. Hur, Taylor et al, (2017) Moderation effects of family cohesion on prosocial behavior FC significantly moderated E unique to PB (E × E interaction). A for PB was stable across all levels of FC.…”

“…E for PB was highest when FC was lowest and decreased as the levels of FC increased, suggesting that FC reduces individual differences in PB by changing environmental experiences rather than genetic factors in PB. Hur, Taylor et al, (2017) Moderation effects of religious attendance on prosocial behavior…”