How Genes and Upbringing Shape Kids' Behavior

The role of genes and environment in shaping a child's behavior has long been a topic of interest. A recent investigation dug into this by comparing two groups of children: identical twins adopted together from China and same-age, unrelated siblings raised together, often called virtual twins. The study focused on behavioral issues, looking at how much genes and environment play a part. Identical twins share both genes and upbringing, while virtual twins share only their environment. This setup allowed researchers to see how these factors influence behavior. The children involved were part of ongoing studies. There were 43 pairs of identical twins and 41 pairs of virtual twins. The twins were a bit older, with an average age of 7, compared to the virtual twins' average age of 6. Parents filled out surveys about their children's behavior. The results showed that identical twins had more similar behavior scores than virtual twins. This was true for internalizing problems, like anxiety, externalizing problems, like aggression, and overall behavior issues. This suggests that genes have a significant impact on these behaviors. Interestingly, virtual twin pairs with one biological child and one adoptee showed more similar behaviors than pairs with two adoptees. This might be because the biological child's genes influence the environment in a way that affects the adoptee's behavior. The study also found that for identical twins, parental factors like education explained less of the variance in problem behaviors compared to virtual twins. This could be because virtual twins come from more diverse backgrounds. In conclusion, both genes and environment play a role in children's behavioral problems. This study highlights the importance of considering both factors when looking at behavior. Future research could explore other unique family structures to gain more insights. The study also raises questions about how much control parents have over their children's behavior. It suggests that while upbringing is important, genes also play a significant role. This could have implications for how we approach behavior issues in children.