Nature vs nurture: Neck and neck

Offers a view of the heritability of distinct aspects of personality pathology from a study of 175 pairs of twins by W. John Livesley (University of British Columbia). Reported in 'American Journal of Psychiatry' (Vol. 150, No. 12); List of genetic and environmental influences on personality disorders.
By PT Staff, published on May 01, 1994

PERSONALITY DISORDERS

Evidence is accumulating that biological factors influence the development of the maladaptive behavioral patterns that constitute personality disorders. From a study of 175 pairs of twins, led by psychiatrist W. John Livesley, M.D., of the University of British Columbia, now comes a clear picture of the heritability of distinct aspects of personality pathology. Several different genetic factors seem to be at play, Livesley reports in the American Journal of Psychiatry (Vol. 150,No. 12). Although most personality disorders have a hefty genetic component, specific environmental factors also have a substantial effect. Genetic vulnerability, it appears, influences the responses we make to adverse environmental circumstances.

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Genetic and Environmental Influence on Personality Disorder

Personality Dimension Influence, in %

Addictive

Genetic Genetic Common Individual

Factors Dominance Environment Environment

Affective lability 1 48 0 51

Anxiousness 49 0 6 45

Callousness 56 0 0 44

Cognitive distortion 41 0 14 45

Compulsivity 39 0 3 58

Conduct problem 0 0 53 47

Identity problems 40 19 0 41

Insecure attachment 35 0 13 52

Intimacy problems 0 38 0 62

Narcissism 0 64 0 36

Oppositionality 52 3 0 45

Rejection 45 0 0 55

Restricted Expression 47 0 0 53

Self-harm 14 15 0 71

Social avoidance 47 10 0 43

Stimulus seeking 50 0 9 41

Submissiveness 25 0 28 47

Suspiciousness 48 0 0 52

ILLUSTRATION

Tags: american journal of psychiatry, aspects of personality, biological factors, cognitive distortion, genetic, genetic component, genetic vulnerability, insecure attachment, intimacy problems, nature vs. nurture, negative emotion, pairs of twins, personality dimension, personality disorder, personality disorders, social avoidance, university of british columbia

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