Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Complexity of Personality: Advantages of a Genetically Sensitive Multi-Group Design

  • Original Research
  • Published:
Behavior Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Findings from many behavioral genetic studies utilizing the classical twin design suggest that genetic and non-shared environmental effects play a significant role in human personality traits. This study focuses on the methodological advantages of extending the sampling frame to include multiple dyads of relatives. We investigated the sensitivity of heritability estimates to the inclusion of sibling pairs, mother–child pairs and grandparent–grandchild pairs from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study in addition to a classical German twin sample consisting of monozygotic- and dizygotic twins. The resulting dataset contained 1.308 pairs, including 202 monozygotic and 147 dizygotic twin pairs, along with 419 sibling pairs, 438 mother–child dyads, and 102 grandparent–child dyads. This genetically sensitive multi-group design allowed the simultaneous testing of additive and non-additive genetic, common and specific environmental effects, including cultural transmission and twin-specific environmental influences. Using manifest and latent modeling of phenotypes (i.e., controlling for measurement error), we compare results from the extended sample with those from the twin sample alone and discuss implications for future research.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. TNS Infratest is a german institute for market and opinion research. Homepage at http://www.tns-infratest.com/.

  2. SOEP questionnaires are available online at http://panel.gsoep.de/soepinfo2008/.

References

  • Arbuckle JL (2006) Amos 7.0 user’s guide. SPSS, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker A, Busjahn A, Faulhaber H-D, Bähring S, Robertson J, Schuster H, Luft FC (1997) Twin zygosity: automated determination with microsatellites. J Reprod Med 42:260–266

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bleidorn W, Kandler C, Riemann R, Angleitner A, Spinath F (2009) Patterns and sources of adult personality development: growth curve analyses of the NEO-PI-R scales in a longitudinal twin study. J Pers Soc Psychol 97:142–155

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borkenau P, Riemann R, Angleitner A, Spinath F (2001) Genetic and environmental influences on observed personality: evidence from the German Observational Study of Adult Twins. J Pers Soc Psychol 80:655–668

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bouchard TJ Jr, Loehlin JC (2001) Genes, evolution, and personality. Behav Genet 31:243–273

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bouchard TJ Jr, McGue M (2003) Genetic and environmental influences on human psychological differences. J Neurobiol 54:4–45

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bouchard TJ Jr, Propping P (eds) (1993) Twins as a tool of behaviour genetics. Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  • Bouchard TJ Jr, Lykken DT, McGue M, Segal NL, Tellegen A (1990) Sources of human psychological differences: the Minnesota study of twins reared apart. Science 250:223–228

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Costa PT Jr, Mc Crae RR (1992) Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) and NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) professional manual. Psychological Assessment Resources, Odessa

    Google Scholar 

  • Costa PT Jr, McCrae RR (1985) The NEO personality inventory manual. Psychological Assessment Resources, Odessa

    Google Scholar 

  • Coventry WL, Keller MC (2005) Estimating the extent of parameter bias in the classical twin design: a comparison of parameter estimates from Extended Twin-Family and classical twin designs. Twin Res Hum Genet 8:214–223

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dehne M, Schupp J (2007) Persönlichkeitsmerkmale im Sozio-oekonomischen Panel (SOEP)—Konzept, Umsetzung und empirische Eigenschaften. Research Notes No. 26. DIW, Berlin

  • Eaves LJ, Eysenck HJ, Martin NG (1989) Genes, culture and personality: an empirical approach. Oxford University Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Eaves L, Foley D, Silberg J (2003) Has the “equal environments” assumption been tested in twin studies? Twin Res 6:486–489

    Google Scholar 

  • Eaves L, Heath A, Martin N, Maes H, Neale M, Kendler K, Kirk K, Corey L (1999) Comparing the biological and cultural inheritance of personality and social attitudes in the Virginia 30,000 study of twins and their relatives. Twin Res 2:62–80

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Evans DM, Martin NG (2000) The validity of twin studies. GeneScreen 1:77–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Falconer DS (1960) Introduction to quantitative genetics. Ronald Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Farber SL (1981) Identical twins reared apart: a reanalysis. Basic Books Inc, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerlitz J-Y, Schupp J (2005) Zur Erhebung der Big-Five-basierten Persönlichkeitsmerkmale im SOEP. Dokumentation der Instrumententwicklung BFI-S auf Basis des SOEP-Pretests. Research notes 2005-4. DIW, Berlin

  • Jang KL, McCrae RR, Angleitner A, Riemann R, Livesley WJ (1998) Heritability of facet level traits in a cross-cultural twin sample: support for a hierarchical model of personality. J Pers Soc Psychol 74:1556–1565

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • John OP, Donahue EM, Kentle RL (1991) The big five inventory—versions 4a and 54. Institute of Personality and Social Research, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson AM, Vernon PA, Feiler AR (2008) Behavioral genetic studies of personality: an introduction and review of the results of 50+ years of research. In: Boyle GJ, Matthews G, Saklofske DH (eds) The SAGE handbook of personality theory and assessment: volume 1 personality theories and models. SAGE, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Kandler C, Riemann R, Kämpfe N (2009) Genetic and environmental mediation between measures of personality and family environment in twins reared together. Behav Genet 39:24–35

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kandler C, Bleidorn W, Riemann R, Spinath FM, Thiel W, Angleitner A (2010) Sources of cumulative continuity in personality: a longitudinal multiple-rater twin study. J Pers Soc Psychol 98:995–1008

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Keller MC, Coventry WL, Heath AC, Martin NG (2005) Widespread evidence for non-additive genetic variation in Cloninger’s and Eysenck’s personality dimensions using a twin plus sibling design. Behav Genet 35:707–721

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Keller MC, Medland SE, Duncan LE, Hatemi PK, Neale MC, Maes HHM, Eaves LJ (2009) Modeling extended twin family data I: description of the cascade model. Twin Res Hum Genet 12:8–18

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Keller MC, Medland SE, Duncan LE (2010) Are extended twin family designs worth the trouble? A comparison of the bias, precision, and accuracy of parameters estimated in four twin family models. Behav Genet 40:377–393

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kendler KS, Neale MC, Kessler RC, Heath AC, Eaves LJ (1993) A test of the equal environment assumption in twin studies of psychiatric illness. Behav Genet 23:21–27

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kenrick DT, Funder DC (1988) Profiting from controversy: lessons from the person-situation debate. Am Psychol 43:23–34

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kline RB (1998) Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. Guilford, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Koeppen-Schomerus G, Spinath F M, Plomin R (2003) Twins and non-twin siblings: different estimates of shared environmental influence in early childhood. Twin Res 6:97–105

    Google Scholar 

  • Krueger RF, Hicks BM, McGue M (2001) Altruism and antisocial behavior: independent tendencies, unique personality correlates, distinct etiologies. Psychol Sci 12:397–402

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krueger RF, South S, Johnson W, Iacono W (2008) The heritability of personality is not always 50%: gene-environment interactions and correlations between personality and parenting. J Pers 76:6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lake RI, Eaves LJ, Maes HH, Heath AC, Martin NG (2000) Further evidence against the environmental transmission of individual differences in neuroticism from a collaborative study of 45,850 twins and relatives on two continents. Behav Genet 30:223–233

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis IM, Watson BC, White KM (2009) Internet versus paper-and-pencil survey methods in psychological experiments: equivalence testing of participant responses to health-related messages. Aust J Psychol 61(2):107–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Little RJA, Rubin DB (2002) Statistical analysis with missing data, 2nd edn. Wiley, Hoboken

    Google Scholar 

  • Loehlin JC, Willerman L, Horn JM (1985) Personality resemblances in adoptive families when the children are late-adolescent or adult. J Pers Soc Psychol 48:376–392

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loehlin JC, McCrae RR, Costa PT, John OP (1998) Heritabilities of common and measure-specific components of the Big Five personality factors. J Res Pers 32:431–453

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loehlin JC, Neiderhiser JM, Reiss D (2003) The behavior genetics of personality and the NEAD study. J Res Pers 37:373–387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCrae RR (2001) Trait psychology and culture: exploring intercultural comparisons. J Pers 69:819–846

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McGue M, Bouchard TJ Jr (1984) Adjustment of twin data for the effects of age and sex. Behav Genet 14:325–343

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Medland SE, Keller MC (2009) Modeling extended twin family data II. Power associated with different family structures. Twin Res Hum Genet 12:19–25

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Neale MC, Boker SM, Xie G, Maes HH (2004) Mx: statistical modeling, 6th edn. Department of Psychiatry, Richmond. Retrieved July 1, 2009, from http://www.vipbg.vcu.edu/

  • Oniszczenko W, Angleitner A, Strelau J, Angert T (1993) The questionnaire of twins’ physical resemblance. Unpublished report. Department of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Poland

  • Ozaki K, Toyoda H, Iwama N, Kudo S, Ando J (2011) Using non-normal SEM to resolve the ACDE model in the classical twin design. Behav Genet 41:329–339

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Plomin R (1994) Genetics and experience: the interplay between nature and nurture. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks

    Google Scholar 

  • Plomin R, Corley R, Caspi A, Fulker DW, DeFries JC (1998) Adoption results for self-reported personality: evidence for nonadditive genetic effects? J Pers Soc Psychol 75:211–218

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Plomin R, DeFries JC, McClearn GE, McGuffin P (2008) Behavioral genetics, 5th edn. Worth Publishers, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Posthuma D, Boomsma DI (2000) A note on the statistical power in extended twin designs. Behav Genet 30(2):147–158

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reiss D, Neiderhiser JM, Hetherington E, Plomin R (2000) The relationship code: deciphering genetic and social influences on adolescent development. Harvard University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Rhee SH, Hewitt JK, Young SE, Corley RP, Crowley TJ, Stallings MC (2003) Genetic and environmental influences on substance initiation, use, and problem use in adolescents. Arch Gen Psychiatry 60:1256–1264

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scarr S, Carter-Saltzman L (1979) Twin method: defense of a critical assumption. Behav Genet 9:527–542

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Spinath FM, Wolf H (2006) CoSMoS and TwinPaW: initial report on two new German twin studies. Twin Res Hum Genet 9:787–790

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Spinath FM, Angleitner A, Borkenau P, Riemann R, Wolf H (2002) German observational study of adult twins: a multimodal investigation of personality, temperament and cognitive ability. Twin Res 5:372–375

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stößel K, Kämpfe N, Riemann R (2006) The Jena twin registry and the Jena twin study of social attitudes (JeTSSA). Twin Res Hum Genet 9:783–786

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Twenge JM (2000) The age of anxiety? Birth cohort change in anxiety and neuroticism, 1952–1993. J Pers Soc Psychol 79:1007–1021

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wagner GG, Frick JR, Schupp J (2007) The German Socio-Economic Panel study (SOEP)—evolution, scope and enhancements. J Appl Soc Sci Stud 127(1):139–169

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Saarland University, 66041, Saarbruecken, Germany

    Elisabeth Hahn & Frank M. Spinath

  2. German Institute of Economic Research (DIW Berlin), Berlin, Germany

    Thomas Siedler, Gert G. Wagner & Jürgen Schupp

  3. Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

    Christian Kandler

Authors
  1. Elisabeth Hahn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Frank M. Spinath
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Thomas Siedler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gert G. Wagner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jürgen Schupp
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Christian Kandler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elisabeth Hahn.

Additional information

Edited by Stacey Cherny.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hahn, E., Spinath, F.M., Siedler, T. et al. The Complexity of Personality: Advantages of a Genetically Sensitive Multi-Group Design. Behav Genet 42, 221–233 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-011-9493-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-011-9493-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation