TitleGenetic and environmental effects on daily life stressors: more evidence for greater variation in later life.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2007
AuthorsCharles, STurk, Almeida, DM
JournalPsychol Aging
Volume22
Issue2
Pagination331-40
Date Published2007 Jun
ISSN0882-7974
KeywordsAdaptation, Psychological, Adult, Aged, Aging, Arousal, Family, Female, Genotype, Humans, Individuality, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Statistical, Personality Inventory, Risk Factors, Social Environment, Stress, Psychological, Twins, Dizygotic, Twins, Monozygotic
Abstract

<p>People vary in the occurrence and perceived severity of stressors experienced in their daily lives. In the current study, the authors examined the extent to which individual differences in these relatively minor occurrences are determined by genetic endowment as well as environmental influences and how these effects vary by age. Identical (n-sub(pairs) = 111) and fraternal (n-sub(pairs) = 99) twin adults ranging from 25 to 73 years old reported the occurrence and severity of their daily stressors on 8 consecutive evenings. Both genetic and unique environmental effects accounted for the variance in stressor occurrence, whereas shared family and unique environmental effects accounted for the variance in the perceived severity of these stressors. In addition, the influence of unique environment on perceived stress exerted a stronger influence among the older adults than the younger adults.</p>

DOI10.1037/0882-7974.22.2.331
Alternate JournalPsychol Aging
PubMed ID17563188
Grant ListAG16731 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG-23845 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01-AG19239 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States