Marriage and Desistance From Crime: A Consideration of Gene–Environment Correlation

Flashcards covering the study's key questions, methods, results, and interpretations on marriage, desistance, and gene–environment correlations.

What is the central research question in the study 'Marriage and Desistance From Crime: A Consideration of Gene–Environment Correlation'?

Do genetic factors influence marriage and desistance, and does controlling for shared genetics alter the observed marriage–desistance link?

What are the heritability estimates (h2) for marriage and desistance reported in the study?

Marriage h2 = .56; Desistance h2 = .49.

How does the marriage–desistance association change after accounting for genetic influences?

The association remains significant but is reduced by about 60%.

What data source is used to study genetic influences on marriage and desistance?

Add Health (National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health) with a sibling subsample.

What are the three types of gene–environment correlation (rGE), and which type is focused on in the paper?

Passive, evocative, and active rGE; the paper focuses on active rGE.

What is active rGE?

When an individual’s genetically influenced traits lead them to select into certain environments (e.g., marriage) based on those traits.

How is genetic influence on marital status linked to personality, according to Johnson et al. (2004)?

Marital status is strongly influenced by genetic factors and covaries with personality characteristics, suggesting an indirect, genetics-mediated path to marriage.

What are the ACE model components and what do they represent?

A = additive genetic effects (heritability), C = shared environment, E = nonshared environment.

What does Table 2 reveal about the genetic and environmental contributions to marital status?

A = .56, C = .00, E = .44, indicating genetic and nonshared environmental influences with no significant shared environmental effect.

What does Table 3 reveal about desistance?

A = .49, C = .00, E = .51, indicating genetic and nonshared environmental influences with no shared environmental effect.

How is desistance operationalized in this study?

As a boundary concept: had delinquent acts in adolescence but no criminal acts in adulthood, based on Wave 1–3 delinquency indices.

What are the reported probandwise concordance rates for marital status among MZ twins?

0.48.

What are the reported probandwise concordance rates for desistance among MZ twins?

0.82.

What do Model 1 and Model 2 in Table 4 compare?

Model 1 tests the effect of marriage on desistance without genetic controls; Model 2 tests after controlling for genetic influences using a logistic DeFries–Fulker approach.

What is the odds ratio for marriage predicting desistance in Model 1?

2.33 (significant).

What is the odds ratio for marriage predicting desistance in Model 2 after genetic control?

1.37 (significant but attenuated).

By what percentage is the marriage effect reduced when genetic influences are controlled?

Approximately 60%.

What is the main conclusion about the causal arrow from marriage to desistance in Figure 1?

The arrow is broken; shared genetic factors may account for the association, implying the link is not purely causal.

What limitations do the authors acknowledge?

Limited by a young adult sample, limited marriage variation, possible desistance measurement error, Add Health data limitations, and generalizability concerns.