Stressful Life Events and Self-Control: Testing Gene x Environment Interaction with a Polygenic Approach

Abstract

Background: Ill decisions and reckless behaviors due to low self-control are concurrently and longitudinally costly, and revealing possible factors contributing to individual differences in self-control is necessary. It is hypothesized that genetically sensitivity interacts with life stressors in the prediction of the development of low self-control (gene environment interaction), yet attempts to test this hypothesis mostly concern candidate gene studies yielding inconclusive results. The goal of this research was to bring findings from large scale gene identification studies into the developmental psychology framework, taking the polygenic nature of complex traits into account. Methods: Using data of a large population-based twin sample, we tested whether polygenic risk scores for self-control problems – based on the most recent ADHD GWAS – predict self-control problems in adults, and whether this polygenic risk scores interact with the presence of environmental stressors. Results: While polygenic scores and life stressors significantly predicted low self-control, we did not find a significant interaction effect. Conclusions: Empirically, finding statistical evidence for this hypothesis remains a challenge, and more research is needed to investigate how to better detect G x E.