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Web End = J Youth Adolescence (2015) 44:18411853 DOI 10.1007/s10964-015-0344-7
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Web End = EMPIRICAL RESEARCH
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Web End = Differential Susceptibility: The Genetic Moderation of Peer Pressure on Alcohol Use
Amanda M. Grifn1 H. Harrington Cleveland1,5 Gabriel L. Schlomer1,2,6
David J. Vandenbergh2,3,4 Mark E. Feinberg5
Received: 18 May 2015 / Accepted: 14 August 2015 / Published online: 26 August 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015
Abstract Although peer pressure can inuence adolescents alcohol use, individual susceptibility to these pressures varies across individuals. The dopamine receptor D4 gene (DRD4) is a potential candidate gene that may inuence adolescents susceptibility to their peer environment due to the role dopamine plays in reward sensation during social interaction. We hypothesized that DRD4 genotype status would moderate the impact of 7th-grade antisocial peer pressure on 12th-grade lifetime alcohol use (n = 414; 58.7 % female; 92.8 % White). The results revealed signicant main effects for antisocial peer pressure, but no main effects for DRD4 genotype on lifetime alcohol use. Adolescent DRD4 genotype moderated the association between peer pressure and lifetime alcohol use. For individuals who carried at least one copy of the DRD4 7-repeat allele (7?), antisocial peer pressure was associated with increased lifetime alcohol use. These ndings
indicate that genetic sensitivity to peer pressure confers increased alcohol use in late adolescence.
Keywords Differential susceptibility DRD4 Alcohol
Antisocial peer pressure
Introduction
Among U.S. 12th graders, 66 % report having ever used alcohol (Johnston et al. 2014). This prevalence is a cause for concern as alcohol use has been associated with the failure to complete high school (Hill et al. 2000) and alcohol dependence in adulthood (Hingson et al. 2006). The greater the level of alcohol use during adolescence, the greater the long-term risk. For example, adolescents who report rst getting drunk by 18 have 5.3 times greater odds
& Amanda M. Grifn [email protected]
H. Harrington Cleveland [email protected]
Gabriel L. Schlomer [email protected]
David J. Vandenbergh [email protected]
Mark E. Feinberg [email protected]
1 Department of Human Development and Family Studies, ThePennsylvania State University, 119 Health and Human Development, University Park, PA, USA