Gene × Intervention Designs

• Author: H. Harrington Cleveland,Richard P. Wiebe,Gabriel L. Schlomer,David J. Vandenbergh
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12221
• Date: 01 August 2016
• Published date: 01 August 2016

POLICY ESSAY

GENETICALLY INFORMED PREVENTION

SCIENCE

Gene ×Intervention Designs

A Promising Step Toward Understanding Etiology

and Building Better Preventive Interventions

H. Harrington Cleveland

The Pennsylvania State University

Gabriel L. Schlomer

University at Albany, State University of New York

David J. Vandenbergh

The Pennsylvania State University

Richard P. Wiebe

Fitchburg State University

Jamie Gajos, Abigail Fagan, and Kevin Beaver (2016: 683–701) in their target article

point out that over the last decade, candidate gene-by-environment interaction re-

search (cGxI) has accumulated evidence that the effects of interventions vary based on

differences in individuals’ genetics. They conclude that genetically informed evalua-

tions of prevention interventions can increase our understanding of the causes of crime and

other social problems, while providing new insights into how to prevent these outcomes and

promote positive development. Wevie w these conclusions as reasonablebut note that some

caution is warranted. We seek to complement the points made in the primary article by

(a) providing a more detailed explanation of the advantages offered by preventive interven-

tion designs for genetically informative research, (b) describing the specific characteristics

of cGxI research that reduce threats to its validity, (c) suggesting some next steps in this

line of research, (d) recommending that the field should orient itself toward the need for

replication, and (e) contributing our ideas about how information from these studies should

be applied in criminology and related disciplines.

Direct correspondence to H. Harrington Cleveland, The Pennsylvania State University, 234 Human

Development Building, University Park, PA 16802 (e-mail: cleveland@psu.edu).

DOI:10.1111/1745-9133.12221 C2016 American Society of Criminology 711

Criminology & Public Policy rVolume 15 rIssue 3