The genetic relationship between individual differences in social and nonsocial behaviours characteristic of autism

Two types of behaviours shown in children – those reflecting social impairment and nonsocial obsessive repetitive behaviours – are central to defining and diagnosing autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Parent and teacher data on social and nonsocial behaviours were obtained from a community sample of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Developmental science 2005-09, Vol.8 (5), p.444-458
Main Authors: Ronald, Angelica, Happé, Francesca, Plomin, Robert
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antisocial Behavior
Autism
Autistic Disorder - diagnosis
Autistic Disorder - genetics
Behavior disorders
Brain
Child
Child Behavior
Child Development
Correlation
Developmental psychology
Diseases in Twins
Female
Genetics
Humans
Individual Differences
Individuality
Interpersonal Competence
Interpersonal Relations
Male
Parents
Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Phenotype
Sex Factors
Social Behavior
Time Factors
Twins
Young Children
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Summary:Two types of behaviours shown in children – those reflecting social impairment and nonsocial obsessive repetitive behaviours – are central to defining and diagnosing autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Parent and teacher data on social and nonsocial behaviours were obtained from a community sample of >3000 7‐year‐old twin pairs. Social and nonsocial behaviours were only modestly correlated, and it was found that some individuals had extreme scores on either social or nonsocial scales but not both. Genetic model‐fitting showed that social and nonsocial behaviours are both highly heritable, but their genetic overlap is modest, with most of the genetic influence being specific to either social or nonsocial behaviours. Considering these behaviours separately might help clarify gene‐brain‐behaviour pathways in future research.
ISSN:1363-755X
1467-7687
DOI:10.1111/j.1467-7687.2005.00433.x