In a very real sense, a child's innate disposition--solemnity--elicits a certain parental behavior--harshness and lack of warmth. Genes, in other words, create an environment.
Genes seem to create environments throughout life. An unresponsive child elicits less affection from parents, reinforcing her innate lack of sociability. Impulsive, aggressive kids elicit threats and coercion, reinforcing problem behavior. On a happier note, a sociable and verbal child is a delight to talk to and read to, reinforcing his inherent cognitive edge.
This one-two punch can lead to the worst outcome, says Dr. David Reiss, director of psychiatric research at the George Washington University Medical Center. Studies hint that when solemn babies reach school age, they have a greater chance of developing conduct disorders, especially oppositional behavior. These are the kids who become bullies and firebugs. They also have a higher risk of anxiety disorders, which can pave the way to depression and substance abuse.
But new research suggests that none of this is inevitable. If parents resist responding to a dour baby with harshness, the genes that underlie solemnity in infancy and oppositional behavior in the teen years may go quiet. "We're talking about the genome as a product of social interactions," says Dr. Reiss. "Genes are fully expressed in some social environments, while in others they never get expressed."
That is a fundamentally hopeful message, because it suggests that genes are not destiny. If parents understand that this instinctive response is the very environment that can reinforce a genetic tendency, they have an incentive to respond differently.
Source: Science Journal, The Wall Street Journal, February 24, 2006