We also tested whether there was evidence for gene-environment correlation by using Pearson correlations to examine the associations between polygenic scores and the parental knowledge and peer deviance environmental measures. As expected, higher polygenic scores were modestly associated with lower parental knowledge, although the effect was of a small magnitude and not significant [r (1113) = 0.05, p = 0.09]. Higher polygenic scores were also modestly associated with higher peer deviance [r (1114) = 0.08, p < 0.01]. This is consistent with previous evidence from twin studies showing that externalizing-spectrum behaviors such as alcohol use, tobacco use, and conduct problems are genetically correlated with environmental factors [7,8]. These findings highlight the complex interplay between genetic and “environmental” influences on behavioral outcomes such as alcohol problems [46].
