The Relationship Between Parent-Child Conflict and Age of Maturation: A Genetically Informed Analysis

• In Event: Evolutionary Theory and Genetic Confounding

Abstract

A large body of research informed by life history theory suggests that familial environments play an important role in predicting developmental outcomes (e.g., reproductive strategies) among offspring. In particular, adverse family environments have been shown to predict age of menarche among female offspring. Recent evidence, nonetheless, suggests that genetic factors may confound the relationship between familial environments and offspring development. Building off of this growing body of literature, the current study utilizes a genetically informed research design to examine the association between parent-child conflict and the onset of puberty among a U.S.-based sample of high-risk youth. Moreover, whether the pattern of findings varies between the sexes is also addressed. Implications for life history theory and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Author

• Jamie Gajos, Florida State University