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SUMMARY:Genes and environment in adolescent attachment: a challenge to the
  received wisdom? - Professor Pasco Fearon\, Research Department of Clinic
 al\, Educational and Health Psychology\, University College London
DTSTART:20141107T150000Z
DTEND:20141107T163000Z
UID:TALK53480@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Louise White
DESCRIPTION:Abstract\nAttachment theory makes strong claims about the envi
 ronmental causation of individual differences in attachment across the lif
 espan. Twin studies by our group and others have shown quite consistently 
 that attachment in infancy is indeed strongly influenced by the environmen
 t and shows little if any influence of genetics\, in marked contrast to mo
 st other domains of development. However\, no genetically informative stud
 ies have been carried in later development (e.g.\, childhood and adolescen
 ce)\, so currently we do not know whether this is a peculiarity of attachm
 ent in infancy\, or a more general feature of attachment across developmen
 t. Furthermore\, since our early work\, numerous studies have appeared tha
 t have implicated several specific gene polymorphisms in attachment\, part
 icularly disorganised attachment\, which seem to suggest a more complicate
 d story even in infancy. In this talk I will review and critique these fin
 dings and report on some data coming from a new\, relatively large twin st
 udy of attachment in adolescence. I will argue that\, collectively\, the p
 icture continues to assert the importance of the environment in the develo
 pment of attachment security and insecurity in early development\, but tha
 t genes may progressively influence attachment later in the lifespan.\n
LOCATION:Ground Floor Lecture Theatre\, Department of Psychology
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