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. 2015 Apr 1:55:30-40.
doi: 10.1016/j.jrp.2014.12.005.

Childhood Sexual Abuse and Impulsive Personality Traits: Mixed Evidence for Moderation by DRD4 Genotype

K Paige Harden  1 , Marie D Carlson  2 , Natalie Kretsch  2 , William R Corbin  3 , Kim Fromme  2
Affiliations

Childhood Sexual Abuse and Impulsive Personality Traits: Mixed Evidence for Moderation by DRD4 Genotype

K Paige Harden et al. J Res Pers. .

Abstract

This project examines associations between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and two dimensions of impulsivity (sensation seeking and premeditation), and tests whether CSA-personality associations are moderated by the DRD4 exon III VNTR polymorphism. Sample 1 is from a longitudinal study of university students measured at 10 waves over ages 18-24 years (n = 500). Sample 2 is from a national sample of young adult sibling pairs, ages 18-24, from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 2,559). In both samples, CSA was associated with elevated sensation seeking. In Sample 1, the association between CSA and sensation seeking was moderated by DRD4 genotype; this gene × environment interaction effect, however, was not replicated in Sample 2. Results suggest new avenues for research on CSA in the area of normal-range personality variation.

Keywords: DRD4; childhood sexual abuse; diathesis stress; differential susceptibility; gene-environment interaction; impulsivity; sensation seeking.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Results from DRD4 × Sexual Abuse Interaction Model in Sample 1 (UTE)
Note. Sensation seeking scores are standardized (M=0, SD=1). Sensation seeking not measured at study waves 2–7.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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