TY - JOUR
T1 - Genetic architecture of Environmental Sensitivity reflects multiple heritable components
T2 - a twin study with adolescents
AU - Assary, Elham
AU - Zavos, Helena M.S.
AU - Krapohl, Eva
AU - Keers, Robert
AU - Pluess, Michael
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Humans differ substantially in how strongly they respond to similar experiences. Theory suggests that such individual differences in susceptibility to environmental influences have a genetic basis. The present study investigated the genetic architecture of Environmental Sensitivity (ES) by estimating its heritability, exploring the presence of multiple heritable components and its genetic overlap with common personality traits. ES was measured with the Highly Sensitive Child (HSC) questionnaire and heritability estimates were obtained using classic twin design methodology in a sample of 2868 adolescent twins. Results indicate that the heritability of sensitivity was 0.47, and that the genetic influences underlying sensitivity to negative experiences are relatively distinct from sensitivity to more positive aspects of the environment, supporting a multi-dimensional genetic model of ES. The correlation between sensitivity, neuroticism and extraversion was largely explained by shared genetic influences, with differences between these traits mainly attributed to unique environmental influences operating on each trait.
AB - Humans differ substantially in how strongly they respond to similar experiences. Theory suggests that such individual differences in susceptibility to environmental influences have a genetic basis. The present study investigated the genetic architecture of Environmental Sensitivity (ES) by estimating its heritability, exploring the presence of multiple heritable components and its genetic overlap with common personality traits. ES was measured with the Highly Sensitive Child (HSC) questionnaire and heritability estimates were obtained using classic twin design methodology in a sample of 2868 adolescent twins. Results indicate that the heritability of sensitivity was 0.47, and that the genetic influences underlying sensitivity to negative experiences are relatively distinct from sensitivity to more positive aspects of the environment, supporting a multi-dimensional genetic model of ES. The correlation between sensitivity, neuroticism and extraversion was largely explained by shared genetic influences, with differences between these traits mainly attributed to unique environmental influences operating on each trait.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85085934705&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41380-020-0783-8
DO - 10.1038/s41380-020-0783-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 32488124
AN - SCOPUS:85085934705
SN - 1359-4184
SP - 4896
EP - 4904
JO - Molecular Psychiatry
JF - Molecular Psychiatry
ER -
