This research project aims to investigate the relationship between stressful experiences, genetic variables, and depression susceptibility. The objective is to explore whether specific genes play a role in amplifying or reducing the impact of stressful events on depression outcomes. The study builds upon the work presented in the paper titled "Influence of Life Stress on Depression: Moderation by a Polymorphism in the 5-HTT Gene" by Caspi et al., which focuses on the behavioral genetics of individuals.
The main focus of the research is to examine the associations between the outcome variable (Y), which represents depression susceptibility, and genetic variables while controlling for environmental factors. By analyzing a dataset generated by a teaching assistant (TA), the research investigates if any of the genetic variables exhibit correlations with the outcome variable after accounting for environmental influences.
The statistical analysis involves estimating the function employed by the TA to generate the data and identifying which individual genetic variables have the most significant associations with the experimental outcomes. This analysis contributes to understanding the potential role of specific genes in modulating the effects of stressful events on depression vulnerability.