Overview

• A large-scale study of British identical twins found that maternal affection between ages 5 and 10 significantly influenced adult personality traits, specifically openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness.
• The research, published in *American Psychologist*, controlled for genetic and shared environmental factors using a twin-difference design to isolate parenting effects.
• No associations were found between maternal warmth and the traits of extraversion or neuroticism, suggesting these may be shaped by other factors such as peer relationships or life experiences.
• The findings underscore the importance of early parenting in shaping traits linked to educational achievement, career success, and health outcomes later in life.
• Experts suggest targeted parenting programs and policies to enhance maternal warmth could help reduce socioeconomic disparities and improve life trajectories on a societal scale.