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The heritability of emotion regulation in 2- and 3-year-old twins
Christine Walder
Authentic Science Research Program
Manchester-Essex Regional High School, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA 01944
Abstract
The heritability of emotion regulation in 2- and 3-year old twins
Christine Walder
Manchester-Essex High School, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA
Teacher, Dr. Maria Burgess, Manchester-Essex High School
Mentor, Dr. Kim Saudino, Boston Univ Twin Project, Boston, MA
Emotion regulation (ER) is ubiquitous in daily life. Normal ER is
essential to social relationships; problems with ER are associated with
psychopathologies. Understanding the genetic vs. environmental
component /s of ER are important to deciphering its etiology. Samesex 24 and 36 month old monozygotic and dizygotic twins (n=314)
were studied to determine the heritability of ER . The Laboratory
Temperament Assessment Battery- Preschool Age test was used to
analyze subject behavior regarding patency of ER. The behavior was
coded in between each test on a scale of 1-5, and that data was then
entered into a program for statistical analysis. Results of this
investigation are pending completing of coding the subjects’ behavior.
Introduction: emotion regulation
Emotions
• Individual genes have small impact on ER
•few genes have been implicated; relatively new field.
Attentional
deployment
Cognitive
change
Response
modulation
Methods
• Twins came in for 2 visits, ~72 hours between each
• Separated and tested individually
• Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery—Preschool Age
(Lab-TAB) was administered
• >12 months, repeat assessment
A1
• 5-HTTLPR gene is serotonin transporter gene
•negative emotionality, fear development
• CHRNA4: gene indirectly regulates dopamine neurotransmission &
acetylcholine
• arousal, reward, and attention.
• Important during development
• One or two short 5-HT alleles x suboptimal or stressful environment = deficits
in self-regulation and reactive control
Figure 2. The experiments were carried out in this room, and were videotaped
through a one-way mirror.
Lab-TAB
•During the experiment, subjects were put through a number of
different tests. These were:
•Arc of Toys
•Fidget Video
•Corral of Balls
•Work Bench
•Dinky Toys
•Snack Delay
•Inhibitory Control
Coding Behavior
• Assigning a numbered description to behavior, which can then be
analyzed by a computer.
• Behavior of each subject was analyzed
• Results were entered into Excel spreadsheet
• Valine and COMT x high-quality parenting = advantage in anticipatory
looking, or effortful control.
Situation
Attention
Appraisal
Response
• 7-repeat allele of DRD4 x low-quality parenting = high levels of sensation
seeking
Figure 1. Stages of an emotion and emotion regulation
The bottom box shows the process of forming an emotion. Inside the black box are internal
processes, while those processes outside the box are external. The top box shows the various
stages at which emotion regulation can occur; with respect to the stages of an emotion.
Emotion regulation can occur at many of these stages over the course of one cycle.
Materials and methods
Significance of Emotion Regulation
• ER crucial to normal development
• ER employed during most social interactions
•without proper ER it is difficult to form healthy relationships
• Difficulties in ER implicated in 75% pathologies
1
• Alert and Calm
• Pays attention to what is going on in the test, and
does not show sign of any positive or negative affect
2
• Alert and Active
• Elated and excited, although still sits around table; or
follows experimenter to cabinet or walk comparable
distance even if doesn’t have positive facial
expression
3
• Tired/inattentive/drowsy
• Yawns; doesn’t pay attention or turn to experimenter,
even when experimenter begins instructions
4
• Whiny, complaining, and distressed/fussy
• Keeps saying “I don’t want to play” or generally
complains about the assessment settings; is upset and
almost begins to cry; has whimpering or soft crying
5
• Resistant, verbal/physical refusal, crying
• Shows more specific verbal/physical refusal to the
assessment in a more serious manner; cries loudly
and screams
Subjects
•316 twins (149 monozygotic, 165 dizygotic)
•Age 24 months and 36 months
•Subjects selected for normal birth weight and gestational period
Difficulties Defining Emotion Regulation
• “emotion” stems from common usage; difficult to define
• Emotions occur in cycles
•difficult to determine where one cycle ends and another
begins; difficult to pinpoint where ER takes place.
• many types of ER.
• beneficial or harmful ER depends on the situation
• Data collection phase ongoing
• ER will be compared across monozygotic and dizygotic twins
• Goal: to determine the heritability of ER
• Component of ER retained from year 2 to 3 will also be analyzed
• Correlational analysis and a model fitting analysis will be run
B1 C
1
A2 B 2 C 2
• Dopamine receptor gene DRD4 codes for the D4 dopamine receptor
•ADHD, novelty seeking, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, bipolar
disorder, aeating disorders.
Gene x Environment Interactions
•process by which one or more aspects of emotion is increased,
decreased, or maintained.
Data analysis
• Monoamine oxidase A gene degrades amine neurotransmitters (serotonin,
dopamine, noradrenalin)
•violence and aggression.
• DAT1 gene involved in the dopamine system
• attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Emotion regulation (ER)
Situation
modification
Genetics
• Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene affects activity of enzyme that
degrades dopamine in the prefrontal cortex
• attention and executive function attenuated
•4-part process involving:
• physiological response
• subjective feelings
• cognitive interpretation
• behavioral expression
Situation
selection
Introduction: genetics
Year
3
Figure 4. Schematic of statistical analysis that will be conducted on
behavioral data. Behaviors A, B and C for the first trail will be
correlated with same behaviors for second trial. Component of ER
retained from year 2 to 3 will also be analyzed.
Literature cited
Cole, PM and Deater-Deckard, K. Emotion regulation, risk, and
psychopathology. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry,
50: 1327–1330, 2009.
Eisenberg N et al. Emotion-related self-regulation and its relation to
children’s maladjustment. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 6:495-525, 2010.
Gross JJ and Thompson RA. Emotion Regulation Conceptual Foundations.
Handbook of Emotion Regulation.2007.
Goldsmith et al. Developmental Neuroscience Perspectives on Emotion
Regulation. Child Dev Perspect. 2(3): 132-140, 2008.
Hariri AR and Holmes A. Genetics of emotion regulation: the role of the
serotonin transporter in neural function. Trends in Cognitive Science.
10(4): 182-191, 2006.
Van Hulle et al. Genetic and environmental influenceso n socio-emotional
behavior in toddlers: an initial twin study of the infant-toddler social
and emotional assessment. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 48(10):
1014-24, 2007.
Kring, Ann M., and Denise M. Sloan. Emotion Regulation and
Psychopathology: a Transdiagnostic Approach to Etiology and
Treatment. New York, NY: Guilford, 2010. Print.
Acknowledgments
Figure 3. Five criteria for coding behavior. Descriptors of each coding level are
provided
.
Year
2
I would like to thank K. Saudino and M. Wang for mentoring my
project. In addition, I would like to thank the Boston University Twin
Lab and Boston University for sponsoring this project, along with the
NIH grant. Also supported by a grant from the Spaulding Education
Fund.
For further information
Please contact [email protected]. More information on this
and related projects can be obtained at http://www.bu.edu/butp/