Paternal Indifference and neglect in early life and Creativity: Exploring the Moderating Role of TPH1 genotype and Offspring’s Gender

Abstract For further understanding the joint contribution of environment, heredity and gender to creativity, the present research examined the prospective impact of paternal indifference & neglect in early life, TPH1 rs623580, offspring’s gender, and the interaction effects thereof on creativity in five hundred and thirty-nine unrelated healthy Chinese undergraduate students. Paternal indifference & neglect in early life was assessed on the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) and creativity on the Runco Creativity Assessment Battery (rCAB). Results showed significant paternal indifference & neglect × TPH1 genotype and TPH1 genotype × offspring’s gender interaction effects when predicting creativity. Specifically, paternal indifference & neglect in early life negatively predicted creativity in youth when individuals carry A allele of TPH1 (rs623580). In addition, male individuals who carry A allele were linked with lower level of flexibility compared to TT homozygote individuals. No significant three-way interaction was found. Findings from the current study suggested that the A allele of TPH1 (rs623580) might be a risk allele for creativity, and the long-term negative influence of paternal indifference & neglect in early life on individuals’ creativity in youth depending on TPH1 genotype.