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Richardson GB, Barbaro N, Nedelec JL, Liu H. Testing Environmental Effects on Age at Menarche and Sexual Debut within a Genetically Informative Twin Design. HUMAN NATURE (HAWTHORNE, N.Y.) 2023:10.1007/s12110-023-09451-5. [PMID: 37300790 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-023-09451-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Life-history-derived models of female sexual development propose menarche timing as a key regulatory mechanism driving subsequent sexual behavior. The current research utilized a twin subsample of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health; n = 514) to evaluate environmental effects on timings of menarche and sexual debut, as well as address potential confounding of these effects within a genetically informative design. Results show mixed support for each life history model and provide little evidence rearing environment is important in the etiology of individual differences in age at menarche. This research calls into question the underlying assumptions of life-history-derived models of sexual development and highlights the need for more behavior genetic research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- George B Richardson
- School of Human Services, University of Cincinnati, PO Box 210002, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA.
| | - Nicole Barbaro
- Department of Psychology, Oakland University, 654 Pioneer Drive, Rochester, MI, 48309, USA
| | - Joseph L Nedelec
- School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, PO Box 210389, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Hexuan Liu
- School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, PO Box 210389, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
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Takeshi K, Naho K. The relationship between parental behavior and the reproductive strategy of daughter is mediated by the development of machiavellianism personality. Heliyon 2023; 9:e14672. [PMID: 37009329 PMCID: PMC10060177 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Females who receive harsh, rejective, and inconsistent nurturing behavior from parents, are predicted to adopt mating strategies, such as short-term and unstable pair bonds with males. The speculation that, the rejective behavior a female receives during the early days, and their short-term mating strategy is mediated by the development of Machiavellianism personality, is not well confirmed. In this study, we investigated the relationship between parenting behavior, experienced by female college students (n = 168) in their early days, Machiavellianism personality, and behavior related to short-term reproductive strategy. The results revealed that, both maternal rejective behavior received by women in their childhood and Machiavellianism, have a relationship with the number of males that the female has ever romantically involved. Moreover, the mediation effect of Machiavellianism between maternal rejection in participants' childhood, and the number of males romantically involved, was marginally significant. This suggests that girls rejected by their mothers developed Machiavellianism. Consequently, this results in unstable female pair-bonding with the males.
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The influence of harshness and unpredictability on female sexual development: Addressing gene-environment interplay using a polygenic score. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:731-741. [PMID: 34937597 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Recent developments in the application life history theory to human development indicate two fundamental dimension of the early environment - harshness and unpredictability - are key regulators life history strategies. Few studies have examined the manner with which these dimensions influence development, though age at menarche (AAM) and age at first sexual intercourse have been proposed as possible mechanisms among women. Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (N = 3,645) were used to examine direct and indirect effects of harshness (financial difficulties) and unpredictability (paternal transitions) on lifetime and past year sexual partners during adolescence and young adulthood. Genetic confounding was addressed using an AAM polygenic score (PGS) and potential gene-by-environment interactions were also evaluated using the PGS. Path model results showed only harshness was directly related to AAM. Harshness, unpredictability, and AAM were indirectly related to lifetime and past year sexual partner number via age at first sexual intercourse. The PGS did not account for any of the associations and no significant interactions were detected. Implications of these results for developmental models derived from life history theory are discussed as well as the role of PGSs in gene-environment interplay research.
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Pham HT, DiLalla LF, Corley RP, Dorn LD, Berenbaum SA. Family environmental antecedents of pubertal timing in girls and boys: A review and open questions. Horm Behav 2022; 138:105101. [PMID: 35124424 PMCID: PMC9261775 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Across nonhuman species, pubertal timing is affected by the social environment, with consequences for reproductive success and behavior. In human beings, variations in pubertal timing have not been systematically examined in relation to social environmental antecedents, although their psychological consequences are well documented. This paper focuses on links in human beings between pubertal timing and the childhood social environment, with several sections: A review of studies relating pubertal timing to the family context, a key aspect of the social environment; challenges in studying the issue; and opportunities for future work that takes advantage of and creates links with evidence in other species. The review shows that pubertal timing in girls is accelerated by adversity in aspects of the early family social context, with effects small in size; data in boys are not sufficient to enable conclusions. Inferences from existing studies are limited by variations in conceptualizations and measurement of relevant aspects of puberty and of the family social environment, and by methodological issues (e.g., reliance on existing data, use of retrospective reports, nonrandom missing data). Open questions remain about the nature, mechanisms, and specificity of the links between early family social environment and pubertal timing (e.g., form of associations, consideration of absence of positive experiences, role of timing of exposure). Animal studies provide a useful guide for addressing these questions, by delineating potential hormonal mechanisms that underlie links among social context, pubertal timing, and behavior, and encouraging attention to aspects of the social environment outside the family, especially peers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly T Pham
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 453 Moore, PA 16802, United States
| | - Lisabeth F DiLalla
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, 6503, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL 62901, United States
| | - Robin P Corley
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, 447 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309, United States
| | - Lorah D Dorn
- College of Nursing, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 313 Nursing Sciences, PA 16802, United States; Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, United States
| | - Sheri A Berenbaum
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 453 Moore, PA 16802, United States; Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, United States.
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“Fast” women? The effects of childhood environments on women's developmental timing, mating strategies, and reproductive outcomes. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2021.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Abstract
This study examines family context and sexual debut among young people in China. Using data from the 2018 Panel Study of Chinese University Students (PSCUS), it explores how the family is correlated with sexual debut among young people in China aged 18-24 years. The Kaplan-Meier method was adopted to detect a survival function for different family factors and related demographic variables. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was adopted to calculate hazard ratios for the timing of sexual debut. The average age of sexual debut among the college students was 18.39 years. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that sexual intercourse initiation was earlier for female students who had no siblings, and those who had a mother with senior high school (including technical school) education or higher family income, but this correlation was insignificant among male students. The multivariate hazard regression analysis revealed that living in a family with a higher level of fathers' education, having a lower level of family income and having siblings had positive correlations with later sexual debut among the college students. Moreover, family factors showed gender differences in their associations with the timing of sexual debut, typically parent's education level, family income and left-behind experience. This study provides a comprehensive perspective on the role of family influences in timing of sexual debut among youth in China.
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Stamos A, McLaughlin J, Bruyneel S, Dewitte S. A preregistered study of the relationship between childhood socioeconomic background, life history strategies and conformity. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2021.104095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Differences between Behavior and Maturation: Developmental Effects of Father Absence. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-021-00166-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Pink KE, Quinlan RJ, Hin S. Famine-related mortality in early life and accelerated life histories in nineteenth-century Belgium. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201182. [PMID: 33143582 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Density-dependent and extrinsic mortality are predicted to accelerate reproductive maturation. The first 5 years of life is a proposed sensitive period for life-history regulation. This study examines the ways in which local mortality during this sensitive period was related to subsequent marriage timing in nineteenth-century Belgium (n women = 11 892; n men = 14 140). Local mortality during the sensitive period was inversely associated with age at first marriage for men and women controlling for literacy, occupational status, population growth and migration. Cox regression indicated decreased time to marriage for women (HR = 1.661, 95% CI: 1.542-1.789) and men (HR = 1.327, 95% CI: 1.238-1.422) from high mortality municipalities. Rising population growth rates were associated with earlier marriage for men and women. Migration in general was associated with later marriage for men and women. Consistent with life-history predictions, harsh ecological conditions during early life such as famine coincided with earlier marriage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina E Pink
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.,Family and Population Studies Group, Centre of Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Robert J Quinlan
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4910, USA
| | - Saskia Hin
- Family and Population Studies Group, Centre of Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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Father absence, age at menarche, and genetic confounding: A replication and extension using a polygenic score. Dev Psychopathol 2020; 34:355-366. [PMID: 33107423 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420000929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Father absence has a small but robust association with earlier age at menarche (AAM), likely reflecting both genetic confounding and an environmental influence on life history strategy development. Studies that have attempted to disambiguate genetic versus environmental contributions to this association have shown conflicting findings, though genomic-based studies have begun to establish the role of gene-environment interplay in the father absence/AAM literature. The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend prior genomic work using the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a prospective longitudinal cohort study (N = 2,685), by (a) testing if an AAM polygenic score (PGS) could account for the father absence/AAM association, (b) replicating G×E research on lin-28 homolog B (LIN28B) variation and father absence, and (c) testing the G×E hypothesis using the PGS. Results showed that the PGS could not explain the father absence/AAM association and there was no interaction between father absence and the PGS. Findings using LIN28B largely replicated prior work that showed LIN28B variants predicted later AAM in father-present girls, but this AAM-delaying effect was absent or reversed in father-absent girls. Findings are discussed in terms genetic confounding, the unique biological role of LIN28B, and using PGSs for G×E tests.
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Guo S, Lu HJ, Zhu N, Chang L. Meta-Analysis of Direct and Indirect Effects of Father Absence on Menarcheal Timing. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1641. [PMID: 32849005 PMCID: PMC7399376 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive evidence of the association between father absence and early onset of menarche, whether father absence directly accelerates the onset of menarche or the association is mediated by other negative family psychosocial processes remains unclear. Reliable theories on the basis of which father absence has been investigated also vary. Within the life history (LH) theoretical framework, we conducted a meta-analysis of studies that investigated father absence, menarcheal timing, and various family disturbances that cause stress in children. We tested the hypothesis that father absence exerts a direct effect on menarcheal timing and an indirect effect on menarcheal timing mediated by integrated childhood stress. Quantitative synthesis using a two-stage meta-analytic structural equation modeling approach was applied to test our hypothesis. Based on seven research articles (N = 4,619) that include at least one form of family stressor as well as father absence and menarcheal timing, integrated childhood stress emerged as a robust mediator of the association between father absence and early menarcheal timing, and the total effect of father absence on menarcheal timing had reduced in size after accounting for the mediating effect of childhood stress. The findings emphasize the importance of a father figure in regulating a child's LH, including menarcheal timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaolingyun Guo
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Hui Jing Lu
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Nan Zhu
- Department of Psychology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau
| | - Lei Chang
- Department of Psychology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau
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Sex-Specific Associations of Harsh Childhood Environment with Psychometrically Assessed Life History Profile: no Evidence for Mediation through Developmental Timing or Embodied Capital. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-020-00144-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Richardson GB, Placek C, Srinivas V, Jayakrishna P, Quinlan R, Madhivanan P. Environmental stress and human life history strategy development in rural and peri-urban South India. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Burris M, Miller E, Romero-Daza N, Himmelgreen D. Food Insecurity and Age at Menarche in Tampa Bay, Florida. Ecol Food Nutr 2020; 59:346-366. [DOI: 10.1080/03670244.2020.1727464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mecca Burris
- Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Elizabeth Miller
- Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Nancy Romero-Daza
- Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - David Himmelgreen
- Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
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Steppan M, Whitehead R, McEachran J, Currie C. Family composition and age at menarche: Findings from the international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. Reprod Health 2019; 16:176. [PMID: 31805955 PMCID: PMC6896716 DOI: 10.1186/s12978-019-0822-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Early menarche has been associated with father absence, stepfather presence and adverse health consequences in later life. This article assesses the association of different family compositions with the age at menarche. Pathways are explored which may explain any association between family characteristics and pubertal timing. Methods Cross-sectional, international data on the age at menarche, family structure and covariates (age, psychosomatic complaints, media consumption, physical activity) were collected from the 2009–2010 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey. The sample focuses on 15-year old girls comprising 36,175 individuals across 40 countries in Europe and North America (N = 21,075 for age at menarche). The study examined the association of different family characteristics with age at menarche. Regression and path analyses were applied incorporating multilevel techniques to adjust for the nested nature of data within countries. Results Living with mother (Cohen’s d = .12), father (d = .08), brothers (d = .04) and sisters (d = .06) are independently associated with later age at menarche. Living in a foster home (d = −.16), with ‘someone else’ (d = −.11), stepmother (d = −.10) or stepfather (d = −.06) was associated with earlier menarche. Path models show that up to 89% of these effects can be explained through lifestyle and psychological variables. Conclusions Earlier menarche is reported amongst those with living conditions other than a family consisting of two biological parents. This can partly be explained by girls’ higher Body Mass Index in these families which is a biological determinant of early menarche. Lower physical activity and elevated psychosomatic complaints were also more often found in girls in these family environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Steppan
- School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK. .,Psychiatric University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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Richardson GB, Hanson-Cook BS, Figueredo AJ. Bioecological Counseling. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-019-00201-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Richardson GB, Blount TN, Hanson-Cook BS. Life History Theory and Recovery From Substance Use Disorder. REVIEW OF GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1037/gpr0000173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Recovery has emerged as an important paradigm in addictions treatment but the field has yet to achieve consensus on how it should be defined and measured. The recovery construct has been extended beyond sustained reductions in use or abstinence to enhancements in global health/well-being and also prosocial community reintegration. However, few studies have included these broader domains in their measurement of recovery and few scientific theories have been advanced to explain why reductions in substance use occasion these broader life changes. This article applies life history theory to recovery for the first time to help define recovery, advance recovery measurement, and explain why broad change across multiple life domains should facilitate sustained recovery progress. We conclude with a discussion of future directions and challenges for future research informed by our life history framework for recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- George B. Richardson
- School of Human Services, College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services, University of Cincinnati
| | - Taheera N. Blount
- School of Human Services, College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services, University of Cincinnati
| | - Blair S. Hanson-Cook
- School of Human Services, College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services, University of Cincinnati
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