What’s New in Psychology
Maternal Affection May Have Lasting Impact
Jim Windell
Mothers who are warm and affectionate with their children, particularly between the ages of five and 10, may play a significant role in how successful their children are later in life.
This is what a new study finds. Although it may not seem like this is such startling news because perhaps most of us believe that maternal affection is important in the early life of a child, what may make this study important is that a mother can play a leading role in personality development as late as age 10.
The study, published recently in the American Psychologist, was led by Jasmin Wertz, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Edinburgh. Wertz and her associates examined data from 2,232 British identical twins (51.1% female) who were followed from birth through age 18 as part of the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twins Study.
Studying identical twins allows researchers to control for genetic and environmental factors by comparing identical twins who grew up in the same family. During the study, Wertz colleagues conducted home visits with the twins’ mothers and recorded them talking about each of their children. Trained observers then rated the mothers’ responses for warmth and affection. The researchers looked at how maternal affection during childhood – specifically between the ages of 5 and 10 – predicted the Big Five personality traits at age 18.
The Big Five personality traits are viewed by personality psychologists as the five basic dimensions of human personality: extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness and neuroticism, or emotional stability.
“Personality traits are strong predictors of important life outcomes, from academic and career success to health and well-being,” said Jasmin Wertz, PhD, lead author of the study. “Our findings suggest that fostering positive parenting environments in early childhood could have a small but significant and lasting impact on the development of these crucial personality traits.”
The results suggest that twins whose mothers expressed more warmth toward them in childhood were rated as more open, conscientious and agreeable as young adults. These results offer evidence that positive, affectionate mothering can affect key personality traits that are linked to success later in life, and these influences could have an impact across generations, said Wertz. The researchers note that even modest changes in personality could lead to significant population-wide benefits over time, particularly in promoting conscientiousness, which is strongly associated with success in education, work and health.
The researchers, however, found no lasting associations between maternal affection and extraversion or neuroticism. These findings indicate that other environmental or genetic factors – such as peer relationships, life experiences, and perhaps later interventions – may be more influential for these in adulthood.
According to Wertz, the findings also underscore the importance of considering both genetic and environmental factors when designing programs aimed at promoting positive personality traits.
“This research provides valuable evidence for the potential of parenting programs to influence critical aspects of personality development,” she said. “However, it also highlights the need for a nuanced understanding of how different factors, including genetics, parenting and life experiences, interact to shape who we are.”
Wertz believes the research provides important practical considerations for policymakers and practitioners working in education, family welfare and mental health. Given that conscientiousness may predict success in school and the workplace, interventions designed to enhance affectionate parenting could contribute to improving educational outcomes, mental health and social well-being on a broader scale.
“There are many proven ways to support parents, such as policies that improve a family’s financial situation; access to treatment for parents who struggle with mental health problems such as depression; and parenting programs that help parents build stronger relationships with their children,” she also said.
Finally, the research also sheds light on the possibility of developing parental training models to address inequalities in personality development. “By targeting parenting practices that promote positive traits in childhood, it may be possible to reduce disparities in life outcomes associated with socioeconomic background, family dynamics and other environmental factors,” Wertz said.
To read the original study, find it with this reference:
Wertz, J., Moffitt, T. E., Blangis, F., Ambler, A., Arseneault, L., Danese, A., ... & Caspi, A. (2025). Parenting in childhood predicts personality in early adulthood: A longitudinal twin-differences study. American Psychologist.
