The role of aggressive personality and family relationships in explaining family conflict

J Fam Psychol. 2011 Apr;25(2):174-83. doi: 10.1037/a0023049.

Abstract

This study investigated whether genetic and environmental influences on global family conflict are explained by parents' personality, marital quality, and negative parenting. The sample comprised 876 same-sex pairs of twins, their spouses, and one adolescent child per twin from the Twin and Offspring Study in Sweden. Genetic influences on aggressive personality were correlated with genetic influences on global family conflict. Nonshared environmental influences on marital quality and negative parenting were correlated with nonshared environmental influences on global family conflict. Results suggest that parents' personality and unique experiences within their family relationships are important for understanding genetic and environmental influences on global conflict in the home.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Twin Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aggression / psychology*
  • Child
  • Cohort Studies
  • Family / psychology*
  • Family Conflict / psychology*
  • Family Relations
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Marriage / psychology
  • Middle Aged
  • Parenting / psychology
  • Personality Disorders / genetics
  • Personality*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Sweden
  • Young Adult