Genetic Interactions of MAOA-uVNTR and 5-HTTLPR on Impulsivity : Indirect Pathways to Violent Delinquency within a Gene-Environment Correlation Framework = MAOA-uVNTR과 5-HTTLPR의 상호작용이 충동성에 미치는 영향: 유전자-환경 상관 관점에서 본 폭력적 비행으로의 간접 경로

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The current study reconceptualises impulsivity as a multidimensional construct rather than a unitary concept and seeks to provide an integrated explanation of its genetic underpinnings and its developmental pathways to violent delinquency. Specifically, the study examines whether a gene-gene interaction (G×G) between risk alleles of the serotonin transporter-linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR) and the monoamine oxidase A upstream variable number tandem repeat (MAOA-uVNTR), both of which are implicated in serotonergic neurotransmission, influences impulsivity. It further investigates how impulsivity contributes to violent delinquency through childhood maltreatment and affiliation with delinquent peers from a gene-environment correlation (rGE) perspective. Data were drawn from Waves 1 to 3 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), a large-scale longitudinal study of U.S. adolescents. The analytic sample consisted of 988 male respondents for whom genetic data were available. Impulsivity was measured using items capturing heightened emotional reactivity and diminished deliberative planning, while violent delinquency was assessed based on participants’ experiences of violent acts. Hierarchical regression analyses and structural equation modelling were employed. The results indicated that the interaction between the 5-HTTLPR short allele and the low-activity MAOA genotype (MAOA-L) significantly amplified levels of impulsivity. In addition, impulsivity was positively associated with both childhood maltreatment and affiliation with delinquent peers, which partially mediated the relationship between impulsivity and violent delinquency. These findings suggest that impulsivity is shaped by genetic factors and, in turn, plays a role in processes through which individuals select and evoke criminogenic environments, thereby increasing the risk of violent delinquency. By moving beyond traditional single-gene approaches and integrating gene-gene interactions with gene-environment correlations, this study refines existing explanations of the mechanisms linking impulsivity to violent delinquency and offers important theoretical contributions to biosocial criminology. Keywords : Impulsivity, 5-HTTLPR, MAOA-uVNTR, Gene-Gene Interaction, Gene-Environment Correlation, Structural Equation Modelling Student Number : 20241204

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Introduction 1
• 1. Significance of the Study 1
• 2. Purpose of the Study 5
• Theoretical Background 7
• 1. Conceptualising and Measuring Impulsivity 7
• 1) The multidimensional nature of impulsivity 7
• 2) The conceptualisation of impulsivity 12
• 3) Distinguishing impulsivity from low self-control 14
• 2. The Relationship between Impulsivity and Serotonergic
• Function 19
• 1) Serotonergic neurotransmission 19
• 2) 5-HTTLPR 24
• 3) MAOA-uVNTR 27
• 3. Impulsivity and Violent Behaviour: A Gene-Environment
• Correlation Perspective 31
• Methods 40
• 1. Hypotheses 40
• 2. Data 42
• 3. Measures 44
• 1) Impulsivity 44
• 2) 5-HTTLPR 45
• 3) MAOA-uVNTR 46
• 4) Childhood Maltreatment 47
• 5) Affiliation with Delinquent Peers 48
• 6) Violent Delinquency 48
• 7) Control Variables 49
• 4. Plan of Analysis 51
• Results 53
• 1. Sociodemographic Characteristics of the Sample 53
• 2. Descriptive Statistics for the Variables in the Interaction
• Model 54
• 3. Results of the Bivariate Association Analyses among the
• Variables in the Interaction Model 56
• 4. Results of the Tests for the Interaction Hypotheses 61
• 5. Descriptive Statistics for the Variables in the Structural
• Equation Model 69
• 6. Results of the Correlation Analysis among the Variables in
• the Structural Equation Model 70
• 7. Results of the Tests for the Path Model Hypotheses 71
• 8. Test Results for Research Hypotheses 73
• Conclusion 75
• References 82
• Abstract in Korean 115