Adolescent externalizing behaviour, psychological control, and peer rejection: Transactional links and dopaminergic moderation

Annelies Janssens; Wim Van Den Noortgate; Luc Goossens; Karine Verschueren; Hilde Colpin; Stephan Claes; Martijn Van Heel; Karla Van Leeuwen

doi:10.1111/bjdp.12184

Adolescent externalizing behaviour, psychological control, and peer rejection: Transactional links and dopaminergic moderation

Br J Dev Psychol. 2017 Sep;35(3):420-438. doi: 10.1111/bjdp.12184. Epub 2017 Mar 24.

Authors

Annelies Janssens¹, Wim Van Den Noortgate², Luc Goossens³, Karine Verschueren³, Hilde Colpin³, Stephan Claes^{4

5}, Martijn Van Heel¹, Karla Van Leeuwen¹

Affiliations

¹ Parenting and Special Education Research Group, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium.
² Methodology of Educational Sciences Research Group, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium.
³ School Psychology and Development in Context, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium.
⁴ Department of Neuroscience, GRASP-Research Group, KU Leuven, Belgium.
⁵ University Psychiatric Centre, KU Leuven, Belgium.

PMID: 28338224
DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12184

Abstract

This study investigated (1) reciprocal links among parental psychological control, peer rejection, and adolescent externalizing (aggressive and rule-breaking behaviour), and (2) the moderating effect of an adolescent genetic factor (biologically informed polygenic score for dopamine signalling). Three-year longitudinal data from 1,116 adolescents (51% boys; M age = 13.79) and their parents included psychological measures (adolescent-reported psychological control, peer-reported rejection, and parent-reported aggressive and rule-breaking behaviour). Cross-lagged analyses showed bidirectional effects between psychological control and both aggressive and rule-breaking behaviour and a unidirectional effect of peer rejection on both forms of problem behaviour over time. Multigroup structural equation modelling revealed genetic moderation only for rule-breaking behaviour: for adolescents with intermediate levels of dopamine signalling significant environmental effects were present, whereas adolescent effects of rule-breaking behaviour on psychological control were significant for adolescents with both intermediate and high profiles and effects on peer rejection only for adolescents with high dopamine profiles. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Parental psychological control is related to adolescent externalizing problems. Experiencing peer rejection reinforces aggressive and rule-breaking behaviour. Single-gene studies show that dopaminergic genes influence externalizing problems directly or in interaction with the environment. What does this study add? Parental psychological control and adolescent aggressive and rule-breaking behaviour exacerbate one another longitudinally. Longitudinal associations between peer rejection and both subtypes of externalizing behaviour are unidirectional. With a polygenic approach, dopaminergic moderation is present for rule-breaking behaviour only.

Keywords: adolescence; dopamine; externalizing behaviour; peer rejection; psychological control.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior / physiology
Adolescent Behavior / psychology*
Aggression / physiology
Aggression / psychology*
Catechol O-Methyltransferase / genetics
Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / genetics
Female
Genotype
Humans
Interpersonal Relations*
Male
Parent-Child Relations*
Peer Group
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
Psychological Distance*
Receptors, Dopamine D2 / genetics
Receptors, Dopamine D4 / genetics
Tandem Repeat Sequences

Substances

DRD2 protein, human
DRD4 protein, human
Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
Receptors, Dopamine D2
SLC6A3 protein, human
Receptors, Dopamine D4
COMT protein, human
Catechol O-Methyltransferase