Chunk #37 — Reasons to be Concerned about the Published cGxE Literature — The Ingredients of cGxE: The Choice of Genetic and Environmental Variables — The Choice of “E”
The use of measures of the environment with proven reliability, empirical precedent, and theoretical plausibility is critical for advancing the field. The elasticity and looseness of the environmental construct can present serious problems for measurement and for the likelihood of detecting a cGxE (Monroe & Reid, 2008). In the example of stress, it is highly likely that different types of “stress” are relevant for different types of cGxE interactions for particular kinds of disorder or disease. For example, chronic stress over years may be most relevant for conditions that develop over protracted periods of time (e.g., coronary heart disease), whereas acute, aversive life events may be most relevant for conditions that often appear to come on rather quickly (e.g., a major depressive episode). Additionally, the developmental timing of the stressor can be critical as the social and biological impact can be expected to vary as a function of stage of development. More specific theoretical dimensions associated with “stress” should accompany such temporal distinctions (e.g., loss or humiliation life events versus life events conveying threat and danger versus other types of
