NCJ Number
230195
Date Published
2008
Length
188 pages
Annotation
This study examined biosocial criminology, including the ways in which genes and the environment combined together to produce different antisocial outcomes.
Abstract
Results show that behaviors and personalities are not created by a single gene, but rather are the result of numerous genes interacting with the environment. The only time that a particular genetic polymorphism exerts an effect on a particular outcome measure is when it is paired with a specific environment; change the environment and the genetic effect evaporates. There is nothing deterministic about genetic effects. The models examined gene X environment interaction (GxEs) on five different outcome measures. Although the findings varied from model to model and depended on the outcome measure employed, the sample analyzed (i.e., White males or African-American males), and the particular gene or environment of interest. The result provided some evidence of the importance of GxEs in the creation of antisocial phenotypes; however, the GxEs have ubiquitous effects across all of the models. Data were drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Tables, figures, appendix, references, and index