Social-emotional behavior in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was examined among high-risk (HR; siblings of children diagnosed with ASD) and low-risk (LR; no family history of ASD) toddlers. Caregivers completed the Infant-Toddler Social Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) at 18 months, and blind diagnostic assessment for ASD was conducted at 36 months.…

Objective: Substitute fathers are often reported to commit child abuse at higher rates than birth (i.e., putative genetic) fathers. Due to the paucity of studies, especially in developing countries, and to some conflicting results from developed countries regarding the identity of perpetrators of less extreme forms of physical abuse of children in…

Background: The identification of specific nonshared environments responsible for the variance in behaviour problems is a key challenge. Methods: Nonshared environmental influences on teacher-reported behaviour problems were explored independently of genetics using the monozygotic (MZ) twin differences design. Six aspects of classroom environment…

Used the Sibling Inventory of Differential Experience with 396 adolescent and young adult children to determine the extent to which genetic differences between siblings or sibling differences in family constellation variables were responsible for differential experiences. (HOD)

Examines the extent to which substantial differences in the attitudes of children from the same family are mediated by nonshared environmental processes or by genetic factors. Results suggested that parental and sibling negativity is significantly related to adolescent adjustment through nonshared environmental processes, although genetic factors…

Examined the influence of environmental factors on adolescent adjustment in a sample of 667 adoptive families. Found that correlations between parental ratings of family functioning and offspring ratings of psychological adjustment were generally higher for the birth than the adoptive offspring sample, and that the correlation in the adjustment…