Parenting and polygenic scores in disruptive child behavior: A test of gene-environment correlations

This study examined gene-environment (parenting) correlations as underlying mechanisms for disruptive child behavior. Polygenic scores for disruptive and externalizing behavior (PGS-DB and PGS-EXT) and parent-reported harsh and warm-supportive parenting were measured in 288 Dutch families with children (Mage = 6.26, SD = 1.31, 48% girls) with above-average parent-reported disruptive behavior. Harsh, but not warm-supportive, parenting and children’s PGS-DB were associated with disruptive child behavior (β = 0.22), but no evidence emerged for gene-environment correlations or genetic nurture. However, harsh parenting was found to partially mediate the link between parental PGS-EXT and disruptive child behavior (β = 0.04). These findings suggest that when using developmentally appropriate PGS, genetic nurture can be identified as a relevant mechanism underlying disruptive child behavior.