Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Differential Susceptibility: Orchids, Dandelions, and the Flowering of Developmental Psychology

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Unifying Causality and Psychology

  • 1989 Accesses

Abstract

The chapter on developmental evolutionary models especially concerns differential susceptibility. Comparable models include biological sensitivity to context and adaptive calibration. These interactive models involving polyphenotypic options are distinct from unilateral uniphenotypic ones of combined vulnerabilities and adversities (diathesis-stress, allostatic load). They are evolutionary through the concepts of bet hedging, conditional adaptation, and stochastic developmental switch. They offer accounts on differential life history strategies (slow, less risky; fast, risky), in psychological acceleration, depending on early environment quality. The former is fashioned by predictable early environments and the latter by unpredictable ones, for example. Therefore, forecasting based on early environmental sampling appears a mechanism in life history strategy.

Another aspect of the model of differential susceptibility concerns certain polymorphisms having susceptibility to environment impacts relative to others and, furthermore, in ways that could be more positive for supportive environments with a susceptibility allele present but more negative for nonsupportive environments with the same allele present. Some of the alleles in this regard include those related to 5-HTTLPR, DRD4, DAT1, BDNF, OXTR, and MAOA, with polygenetic combinations also involved. Some of the early stressors in this research include maternal emotionality/sensitivity. The negative outcomes involved in early adversity include externalizing (e.g., conduct disorder) and internalizing (e.g., depression) ones. The mediators in the relationships include stress-response physiology. The mechanisms affecting the genes involved appear to be epigenetic.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Achenbach, T. M. (1991). Integrative guide for the 1991 CBCL/4-18, YSR, and TRF profiles. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.

    Google Scholar 

  • Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorla, L. (2001). Manual for the ASEBA school-age forms & profiles. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, & Families.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aron, E. N. (1996). The highly sensitive person: How to thrive when the world overwhelms you. New York: Broadway Books (Rev. ed).

    Google Scholar 

  • Aron, E. N., & Aron, A. (1997). Sensory-processing sensitivity and its relation to introversion and emotionality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 345–368.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Aron, E. N., Aron, A., & Jagiellowicz, J. (2012). Sensory processing sensitivity: A review in the light of the evolution of biological responsivity. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 16, 262–282.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Babineau, V., Gordon Green, C., Jolicoeur-Marineau, A., Minde, K., Sassi, R., St-André, M., et al. (2014). Prenatal depression and 5-HTTLPR interact to predict dysregulation from 3 to 36 months: A differential susceptibility model. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines, 56, 21–29.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., & van IJzendoorn, M. H. (2006). Gene-environment interaction of the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) and observed maternal insensitivity predicting externalizing behavior in preschoolers. Developmental Psychobiology, 48, 406–409.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bakermans-Kranenburg, M., & van IJzendoorn, M. H. (2007). Genetic vulnerability or differential susceptibility in child development: The case of attachment [Research review]. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 48, 1160–1173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., & van IJzendoorn, M. H. (2015). The hidden efficacy of interventions: Gene × environment experiments from a differential susceptibility perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 66, 381–409.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes, J. C., & Jacobs, B. A. (2013). Genetic risk for violent behavior and environmental exposure to disadvantage and violence crime: The case for gene-environment interaction. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 18, 92–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beach, S. R. H., Brody, G. H., Lei, M. K., Kim, S., Cui, J., & Philibert, R. A. (2014). Is serotonin transporter genotype associated with epigenetic susceptibility or vulnerability? Examination of the impact of socioeconomic status risk of African American youth. Development and Psychopathology, 26, 289–304.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Beauchaine, T. P., & Gatzke-Kopp, L. M. (2012). Instantiating the multiple levels of analysis perspective in a program of study on externalizing behavior. Development and Psychopathology, 24, 1003–1018.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J. (1997a). Variation in susceptibility to rearing influences: An evolutionary argument. Psychological Inquiry, 8, 182–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J. (1997b). Theory testing, effect-size evaluation, and differential susceptibility to rearing influence: The case of mothering and attachment. Child Development, 68, 598–600.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J. (2000). Conditional and alternative reproductive strategies: Individual differences in susceptibility to rearing experience. In J. Rodgers, D. Rowe, & W. Miller (Eds.), Genetic influences on human fertility and sexuality: Theoretical and empirical contributions from the biological and behavioral sciences (pp. 127–146). Boston: Kluwer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J. (2005). Differential susceptibility to rearing influences: An evolutionary hypothesis and some evidence. In B. Ellis & D. Bjorklund (Eds.), Origins of the social mind: Evolutionary psychology and child development (pp. 139–163). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J. (2012). The development of human reproductive strategies: Progress and prospects. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 21, 310–316.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J. (2014). Toward an evo-devo theory of reproductive strategy, health, and longevity: Commentary on Rickard et al. (2014). Perspectives on Psychological Science, 9, 16–18.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J., Bakermans-Branenburg, M. J., & van IJzendoorn, M. H. (2007). For better and for worse: Differential susceptibility to environmental influences. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16, 300–304.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J., & Deaver, K. M. (2011). Cumulative-genetic plasticity, parenting and adolescent self-regulation. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 52, 619–626.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J., & Pluess, M. (2009a). Beyond diathesis stress: Differential susceptibility to environmental influences. Psychological Bulletin, 135, 885–908.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J., & Pluess, M. (2009b). The nature (and nurture?) of plasticity in early human development. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4, 345–351.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J., & Pluess, M. (2013a). Beyond risk, resilience and dysregulation: Phenotypic plasticity and human development. Development and Psychopathology, 25, 1243–1261.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J., & Pluess, M. (2013b). Genetic moderation of early child-care effects on social functioning across childhood: A developmental analysis. Child Development, 84, 1209–1225.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J., Pluess, M., & Widaman, K. F. (2013). Confirmatory and competitive evaluation of alternative gene-environment interaction hypotheses. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54, 1135–1143.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J., Ruttle, P. L., Boyce, W. T., Armstrong, J. M., & Essex, M. J. (2015). Early adversity, elevated stress physiology, accelerated sexual maturation, and poor health in females. Developmental Psychology, 51, 816–22. doi:10.1037/dev0000017.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J., Schlomer, G. L., & Ellis, B. J. (2012). Beyond cumulative risk: Distinguishing harshness and unpredictability as determinants of parenting and early life history strategy. Developmental Psychology, 48, 662–673.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J., Steinberg, L., & Draper, P. (1991). Childhood experience, interpersonal development, and reproductive strategy: An evolutionary theory of socialization. Child Development, 62, 647–670.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J., Steinberg, L., Houts, R. M., Halpern-Felsher, B. L., & The NICHD Early Child Care Research Network. (2010). The development of reproductive strategy in females: Early maternal harshness → earlier menarche → increased sexual risk taking. Developmental Psychology, 46, 120–128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J., & van IJzendoorn, M. H. (2015). What works for whom? Genetic moderation of intervention efficacy. Development and Psychopathology, 27, 1–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Berry, D., Deater-Deckard, K., McCartney, K., Wang, Z., & Petrill, S. A. (2013). Gene-environment interaction between dopamine receptor D4 7-repeat polymorphism and early maternal sensitivity predicts inattention trajectories across middle childhood. Development and Psychopathology, 25, 291–306.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bevilacqua, L., Carli, V., Sarchiapone, M., George, D. K., Goldman, D., Roy, A., et al. (2012). Interaction between FKBP5 and childhood trauma and risk of aggressive behavior. Archives of General Psychiatry, 69, 62–70.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bifulco, A., Brown, G. W., & Harris, T. O. (1994). Childhood Experiences of Care and Abuse (CECA): A retrospective interview measure. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 35, 1419–1435.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bjorklund, D. F., & Pellegrini, A. D. (2002). The origins of human nature: Evolutionary developmental psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Blair, C., & Raver, C. C. (2012). Individual development and evolution: Experiential canalization of self-regulation. Developmental Psychology, 48, 647–657.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bogdan, R., Agrawal, A., Gaffrey, M. S., Tillman, R., & Luby, J. L. (2014). Serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) genotype and stressful life events interact to predict preschool-onset depression: A replication and developmental extension. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55, 448–457.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Boyce, W. T., Chesney, M., Alkon, A., Tschann, J. M., Adams, S., Chesterman, B., et al. (1995). Psychobiological reactivity to stress and childhood respiratory illnesses: Results of two prospective studies. Psychosomatic Medicine, 57, 411–422.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boyce, W. T., & Ellis, B. J. (2005). Biological sensitivity to context: I. An evolutionary-developmental theory of the origins and functions of stress reactivity. Development and Psychopathology, 17, 271–301.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boyce, W. T., & Kobor, M. S. (2015). Development and the epigenome: The “synapse” of gene-environment interplay. Developmental Science, 18, 1–23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brett, Z. H., Humphreys, K. L., Smyke, A. T., Gleason, M. M., Nelson, C. A., Zeanah, C. H., et al. (2015). Serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) genotype moderates the longitudinal impact of early care giving on externalizing behavior. Development and Psychopathology, 27, 7–18.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Brody, G. H., Chen, Y., & Beach, S. R. H. (2013). Differential susceptibility to prevention: GABAergic, dopaminergic and multilocus effects. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54, 863–871.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Brody, G. H., Yu, T., & Beach, S. R. H. (2015). A differential susceptibility analysis reveals the “who and how” about adolescents’ responses to preventive interventions: Tests of first- and second-generation gene-intervention hypotheses. Development and Psychopathology, 27, 37–49.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bush, N., Guendelman, M., Adler, N., & Boyce, W. T. (2014, submitted). BDNF allelic variants moderate social disparities in children’s basal cortisol expression.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buss, D. M. (2011). Evolutionary psychology: The new science of the mind (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cameron, N. M., Champagne, F. A., Parent, C., Fish, E. W., Ozaki-Kuroda, K., & Meaney, M. J. (2005). The programming of individual differences in defensive responses and reproductive strategies in the rat through variations in maternal care. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 29, 843–865.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Champagne, D. L., Bagot, R. C., van Hasselt, F., Ramakers, G., Meaney, M. J., de Kloet, E. R., et al. (2008). Maternal care and hippocampal plasticity: Evidence for experience-dependent structural plasticity, altered synaptic functioning, and differential responsiveness to glucocorticoids and stress. Journal of Neuroscience, 28, 6037–6045.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, J., Li, X., & McGue, M. (2012). Interacting effect of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and stressful life events on adolescent depression. Genes, Brain, and Behavior, 54, 1066–1073.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, L., Pan, H., Tuan, T. A., Teh, A. L., MacIsaac, J. L., Mah, S. M., et al. (2015). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism influences the association of the methylome with maternal anxiety and neonatal brain volumes. Development and Psychopathology, 27, 137–150.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chisholm, J. (1999). Death, hope, and sex: Steps to an evolutionary ecology of mind and morality. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Davies, P. T., Cicchetti, D., & Hentges, R. F. (2014). Maternal unresponsiveness and child disruptive problems: The interplay of uninhibited temperament and dopamine transporter genes. Child Development, 86, 63–79.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Del Giudice, M. (2014a). An evolutionary life history framework for psychopathology. Psychological Inquiry, 25, 261–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Del Giudice, M. (2014b). A tower unto heaven: Toward an expanded framework for psychopathology. Psychological Inquiry, 25, 394–413.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Del Giudice, M., Ellis, B. J., & Shirtcliff, E. A. (2011). The adaptive calibration model of stress responsivity. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 35, 1562–1592.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Del Giudice, M., Hinnant, J. B., Ellis, B. J., & El-Sheikh, M. (2012). Adaptive patterns of stress responsivity: A preliminary investigation. Developmental Psychology, 48, 775–790.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Dishion, T. J., Ha, T., & Véronneau, M.-H. (2012). An ecological analysis of the effects of deviant peer clustering on sexual promiscuity, problem behavior, and childbearing from early adolescence to adulthood: An enhancement of the life history framework. Developmental Psychology, 48, 703–717.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg, N., Sulik, M. J., Spinrad, T. L., Edwards, A., Eggum, N. D., Liew, J., et al. (2012). Differential susceptibility and the early development of aggression: Interactive effects of respiratory sinus arrhythmia and environmental quality. Developmental Psychology, 48, 755–768.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, B. J., & Bjorklund, D. F. (2012). Beyond mental health: An evolutionary analysis of develop under risky and supportive environmental conditions: An introduction to the special section. Developmental Psychology, 48, 591–597.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, B. J., Boyce, W. T., Belsky, J., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., & van Iizendoorn, M. H. (2011). Differential susceptibility to the environment: An evolutionary-neurodevelopmental theory. Development and Psychopathology, 23, 7–28.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, B. J., & Del Giudice, M. (2014). Beyond allostatic load: Rethinking the role of stress in regulating human development. Development and Psychopathology, 26, 1–20.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, B. J., Del Giudice, M., Dishion, T. J., Figueredo, A. J., Gray, P., Griskevicius, V., et al. (2012). The evolutionary basis of risky adolescent behavior: Implications for science, policy, and practice. Developmental Psychology, 48, 598–623.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, B. J., Essex, M. J., & Boyce, W. T. (2005). Biological sensitivity to context: II. Empirical explorations of an evolutionary-developmental theory. Development and Psychopathology, 17, 183–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, B. J., Figueredo, A. J., Brumbach, B. H., & Schlomer, G. L. (2009). Fundamental dimensions of environmental risk: The impact of harsh versus unpredictable environments on the evolution and development of life history strategies. Human Nature, 20, 204–268.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, B. J., Schlomer, G. L., Tilley, E. H., & Butler, E. A. (2012). Impact of fathers on risky sexual behavior in daughters: A genetically and environmentally controlled sibling study. Development and Psychopathology, 24, 317–332.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Enoch, M. A., Steer, C. D., Newman, T. K., Gibson, N., & Goldman, D. (2010). Early life stress, MAOA, and gene-environment interactions predict behavioral disinhibition in children. Genes, Brain, and Behavior, 9, 65–74.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Frankenhuis, W. E., & de Weerth, C. (2013). Does early-life exposure to stress shape or impair cognition? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 22, 407–412.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frankenhuis, W. E., & Del Giudice, M. (2012). When do adaptive developmental mechanisms yield maladaptive outcomes? Developmental Psychology, 48, 628–642.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gibbons, F. X., Roberts, M. E., Gerrard, M., Li, Z., Beach, S. R., Simons, R. L., et al. (2012). The impact of stress on the life history strategies of African American adolescents: Cognitions, genetic moderation, and the role of discrimination. Developmental Psychology, 48, 643–646.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gluckman, P. D., & Beedle, A. S. (2012). Match fitness: Development, evolution and behavior: Comment on Frankenhuis and Del Giudice (2012). Developmental Psychology, 48, 643–646.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gluckman, P. D., Hanson, M. A., Cooper, C., & Thornburg, K. L. (2008). Effect of in utero and early-life conditions on adult health and disease. New England Journal of Medicine, 359, 61–73.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Grazioplene, R. G., DeYoung, C. G., Rogosch, F. A., & Cicchetti, D. (2013). A novel differential susceptibility gene: CHRNA4 and moderation of the effect of maltreatment on child personality. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54, 872–880.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Gunnar, M. R., Wenner, J. A., Thomas, K. M., Glatt, C. E., McKenna, M. C., & Clark, A. G. (2012). The brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism moderates early deprivation effects on attention problems. Development and Psychopathology, 24, 1215–1223.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hamlin, J. K., Ullman, T., Tenenbaum, J., Goodman, N., & Barker, C. (2013). The mentalistic basis of core social cognition: Experiments in preverbal infants and a computational model. Developmental Science, 16, 209–226.

    Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hastings, P. D., Helm, J., Mills, R. S. L., Serbin, L. A., Stack, D. M., & Schwartzman, A. E. (2014). Dispositional and environmental predictors of the development of internalizing problems in childhood: Testing a multilevel model. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. doi:10.1007/s10802-014-9951-0.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hygen, B. W., Belsky, J., Stenseng, F., Lydersen, S., Guzey, I. C., & Wichstrøm, L. (2015). Child exposure to serious life events, COMT, and aggression: Testing differential susceptibility theory. Developmental Psychology. doi:10.1037/dev0000020.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • James, J., Ellis, B. J., Schlomer, G. L., & Garber, J. (2012). Sex-specific pathways to early puberty, sexual debut and sexual risk-taking: Tests of an integrated evolutionary-developmental model. Developmental Psychology, 48, 687–702.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Johansson, A., Bergman, H., Corander, J., Waldman, I. D., Karrani, N., Salo, B., et al. (2012). Alcohol and aggressive behavior in men – moderating effects of oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) polymorphisms. Genes, Brain, and Behavior, 11, 214–221.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Knafo, A., Israel, S., & Ebstein, R. P. (2011). Heritability of children’s prosocial behavior and differential susceptibility to parenting by variation in the dopamine receptor D4 gene. Development and Psychopathology, 23, 53–67.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kochanska, G., Kim, S., Barry, R. A., & Philibert, R. A. (2011). Children’s genotypes interact with maternal responsive care in predicting children’s competence: Diathesis-stress or differential susceptibility? Development Psychopathology, 23, 605–616.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kudielka, B. M., Hellhammer, D. H., & Kirschbaum, C. (2007). Ten years of research with the Trier Social Stress Test-Revised. In E. Harmon-Jones & P. Winkielman (Eds.), Social neuroscience: Integrating biological and psychological explanation of social behavior (pp. 56–83). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laucht, M., Blomeyer, D., Buchmann, A. F., Treulein, J., Schmidt, M. H., Esser, G., et al. (2012). Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met genotype, parenting practices and adolescent alcohol use: Testing and differential susceptibility hypothesis. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 53, 351–359.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lei, M.-K., Simons, R. L., Edmond, M. B., Simons, L. G., & Cutrona, C. E. (2014). The effect of neighborhood disadvantage, social ties, and genetic variation on the antisocial behavior of African American women: A multilevel analysis. Development and Psychopathology, 26, 1113–1128.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Li, J. J., Berk, M. S., & Lee, S. S. (2013). Differential susceptibility in longitudinal models of gene-environment interaction for adolescent depression. Development and Psychopathology, 25, 991–1003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Manuck, S. B. (2010). The reaction norm in gene × environment interaction. Molecular Psychiatry, 15, 881–882.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCullough, M. E., Pedersen, E. J., Schroder, J. M., Tabak, B. A., & Carver, C. S. (2013). Harsh childhood environmental characteristics predict exploitation and retaliation in humans. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Science, 280, 1750. doi:10.1098/rspb.2012.2104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McEwen, B. S., & Stellar, E. (1993). Stress and the individual. Mechanisms leading to disease. Archives of Internal Medicine, 153, 2093–2101.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mills-Koonce, W. R., Propper, C. B., Gariepy, J. L., Blair, C., Garrett-Peters, P., & Cox, M. J. (2007). Bidirectional genetic and environmental influences on mother and child behavior: The family system as the unit of analyses. Development and Psychopathology, 19, 1073–1087.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mittal, C., & Griskevicius, V. (2014). Sense of control under uncertainty depends on people’s childhood environment: A life history theory approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 107, 621–637.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nederhof, E., Belsky, J., Ormel, J., & Oldehinkel, A. J. (2012). Effects of divorce on Dutch boys’ and girls’ externalizing behavior in gene × environment perspective: Diathesis stress or differential susceptibility in the Tracking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey study? Development and Psychopathology, 24, 929–939.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oberlander, T. F., Weinberg, J., Papsdorf, M., Grunau, R., Misri, S., & Devlin, A. M. (2008). Prenatal exposure to maternal depression, neonatal methylation of human glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) and infant cortisol stress responses. Epigenetics, 3, 97–106.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Obradović, J., Bush, N. R., Stamperdahl, J., Adler, N. E., & Boyce, W. T. (2010). Biological sensitivity to context: The interactive effects of stress reactivity and family adversity on socioemotional behavior and school readiness. Child Development, 81, 270–289.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Pluess, M. (2015). Individual differences in environmental sensitivity. Child Development Perspectives, 9, 138–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pluess, M., & Belsky, J. (2009). Differential susceptibility to rearing experience: The case of childcare. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50, 396–404.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pluess, M., & Belsky, J. (2010). Differential susceptibility to parenting and quality child care. Developmental Psychology, 46, 376–390.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pluess, M., & Belsky, J. (2011). Prenatal programming of postnatal plasticity? Development and Psychopathology, 23, 29–38.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pluess, M., & Belsky, J. (2013). Vantage sensitivity: Individual differences in response to positive experiences. Psychological Bulletin, 139, 901–916.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pluess, M., Belsky, J., & Neuman, R. J. (2009). Prenatal smoking and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: DRD4-7R as a plasticity gene. Biological Psychiatry, 66, e5–e6. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.04.019.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pluess, M., Stevens, S. E., & Belsky, J. (2013). Differential susceptibility: Developmental and evolutionary mechanisms of gene-environment interactions. In M. Legerstee, D. W. Haley, & M. H. Bornstein (Eds.), The infant mind: Origins of the social brain (pp. 77–96). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pluess, M., Velders, F. P., Belsky, J., van IJzendoorn, M. H., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., Jaddoe, V. W., et al. (2011). Serotonin transporter polymorphism moderates effects of prenatal maternal anxiety on infant negative emotionality. Biological Psychiatry, 69, 520–525.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poulin, M. J., Holman, E. A., & Buffone, A. (2012). The neurogenetics of nice: Receptor genes for oxytocin and vasopressin interact with threat to predict prosocial behavior. Psychological Science, 23, 446–452.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Quas, J. A., Bauer, A., & Boyce, W. T. (2004). Physiological reactivity, social support, and memory in early childhood. Child Development, 75, 797–814.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rickard, I. J., Frankenhuis, W. E., & Nettle, D. (2014). Why are childhood family factors associated with timing of maturation? A role of internal prediction. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 9, 3–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sheese, B. E., Voelker, P. M., Rothbart, M. K., & Posner, M. I. (2007). Parenting quality interacts with genetic variation in dopamine receptor D4 to influence temperament in early childhood. Developmental Psychopathology, 19, 1039–1046.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherman, R. A., Figueredo, A. J., & Funder, D. C. (2013). The behavioral correlates of overall and distinctive life history strategy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 105, 873–888.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sheskin, M., Chevallier, C., Lambert, S., & Baumard, N. (2014). Life-history theory explains childhood moral development. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 18, 613–615.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Simons, R. L., Lie, M. K., Stewart, E. A., Beach, S. R. H., Brody, G. H., Philibert, R. A., et al. (2012). Social adversity, genetic variation, street code, and aggression: A genetically informed model of violent behavior. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 10, 3–24.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Simpson, J. A., Griskevicius, V., Kuo, S. I., Sung, S., & Collins, W. A. (2012). Evolution, stress, and sensitive periods: The influence of unpredictability in early versus late childhood on sex and risky behavior. Developmental Psychology, 48, 674–686.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sonuga-Barke, E. J., Oades, R. D., Psychogiou, L., Chen, W., Franke, B., Buitelaar, J., et al. (2009). Dopamine and serotonin transporter genotypes moderate sensitivity to maternal expressed emotion: The case of conduct and emotional problems in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines, 50, 1052–1063.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • South, S. C., & Krueger, R. F. (2013). Marital satisfaction and physical health: Evidence for an orchid effect. Psychological Science, 24, 373–378.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sturge-Apple, M. L., Davies, P. T., Martin, M. J., Cicchetti, D., & Hentges, R. F. (2012). An examination of the impact of harsh parenting contexts on children’s adaptation within an evolutionary framework. Developmental Psychology, 48, 791–805.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sulik, M. J., Eisenberg, N., Lemery-Chalfant, K., Spinrad, T. L., Silva, K. M., Eggum, N. D., et al. (2012). Interactions between serotonin transporter gene haplotypes and quality of mothers’ parenting predict the development of children’s noncompliance. Developmental Psychology, 48, 740–754.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sulik, M. J., Eisenberg, N., Spinrad, T. L., Lemery-Chalfant, K., Swann, G., Silva, K. M., et al. (2015). Interactions among catechol-O-methyltransferase genotype, parenting, and sex predict children’s internalizing symptoms and inhibitory control: Evidence for differential susceptibility. Development and Psychopathology, 27, 709–723.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sumner, J. A., McLaughlin, K. A., Walsh, K., Sheridan, M. A., & Koenen, K. C. (2015). Care giving and 5-HTTLPR genotype predict adolescent physiological stress reactivity: Confirmatory tests on gene × environment interactions. Child Development. doi:10.1111/cdev.12357.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Trucco, E. M., Villafuerte, S., Heitzeg, M. M., Burmeister, M., & Zucker, R. A. (2015). Susceptibility effects of GABA receptor subunit alpha-2 (GABRA2) variants and parental monitoring on externalizing behavior trajectories: Risk and protection conveyed by the minor allele. Development and Psychopathology. doi:10.1017/S0954579415000255.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van IJzendoorn, M. H., & Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J. (2015). Genetic differential susceptibility on trial: Meta-analytic support from randomized controlled experiments. Development and Psychopathology, 27, 151–162.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van IJzendoorn, M. H., Belsky, J., & Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J. (2012). Serotonin transporter genotype 5HTTLPR as a marker of differential susceptibility? A meta-analysis of child and adolescent gene-by-environment studies. Translational Psychiatry, 7, e147. doi:10.1038/tp.2012.73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van IJzendoorn, M. H., Caspers, K., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., Beach, S. R. H., & Philibert, R. (2010). Methylation matters: Interaction between methylation density and 5HTT genotype predicts unresolved loss or trauma. Biological Psychiatry, 68, 405–407.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Wakschlag, L. S., Kistner, E. O., Pine, D. S., Biesecker, G., Pickett, K. E., Skol, A. D., et al. (2010). Interaction of prenatal exposure to cigarettes and MAOA genotype in pathways to youth antisocial behavior. Molecular Psychiatry, 15, 928–937.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Weaver, I. C., Cervoni, N., Champagne, F. A., D’Alessio, A. C., Sharma, S., Seckl, J. R., et al. (2004). Epigenetic programming by maternal behavior. Nature Neuroscience, 7, 847–854.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • West-Eberhard, M. J. (2003). Development plasticity and evolution. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, A. E., Li, Y. J., Griskevicius, V., Neuberg, S. L., & Kenrick, D. T. (2013). Putting all your eggs in one basket: Life-history strategies, bet hedging, and diversification. Psychological Science, 24, 715–722.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Young, G. (2011). Development and causality: Neo-Piagetian perspectives. New York: Springer Science + Business Media.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Toronto, ON, Canada

    Gerald Young

Authors
  1. Gerald Young
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Young, G. (2016). Differential Susceptibility: Orchids, Dandelions, and the Flowering of Developmental Psychology. In: Unifying Causality and Psychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24094-7_13

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation