PBS6 Essay 1 06/11/2017 Daniel Howard dh530@cam.ac.

uk

PBS6: Development and Psychopathology Essay 1 06/11/2017

What is wrong with the metaphor of Orchids and Dandelions?

PBS6 Essay 1 06/11/2017 Daniel Howard dh530@cam.ac.uk

The Orchids and Dandelions metaphor is intended to highlight the difference between the

majority of children, referred to as Dandelions, who like their namesake are resilient to stress,

relatively hardy, and who are able to withstand a range of environments, and the minority, the

Orchids, who have heightened reactivity yet, given sensitive nurturance, have the capacity to

develop beautifully but also have a tendency to develop adverse developmental outcomes in

less than optimal environmental conditions (Kennedy, 2013). Various studies have produced

results which appear to agree with this delineation, however the metaphor remains flawed in

both its morality and its strict categorisation.

Differential susceptibility is a term which refers to the hypothesis that some children

are more affected, for better and for worse, by their rearing experiences than are others. This

hypothesis underlies the Orchids and Dandelions metaphor, with Dandelions more resistant to

the effects of rearing experiences, and Orchids much more susceptible. From an evolutionary

perspective, it appears to make sense that children will vary in their susceptibility to parental

rearing, as if a rearing technique is flawed and all children respond the same, then all children

will experience the same negative effects (Belsky, 2005). One issue with applying the theory

of differential susceptibility to strictly delineate people as Orchids or Dandelions is that

research is progressively uncovering a polygenic association between differing reactions to

childhood rearing experiences. As a consequence, merely referring to some as Orchids and

others as Dandelions is too simplistic; many individuals will instead exhibit both Orchid-like,

and Dandelion-like traits.

The dopamine D4 receptor gene has a 7-repeat allele of a 48bp tandem repeat (DRD4-

7R), which is associated with a less efficient dopamine system, and consequently a

dysfunctional attention and reward system. Studies have shown the DRD4-7R allele may have

a link with ADHD incidence (Nikolaidis & Gray, 2010), however the strength of the link

appears to vary across races. This may be due to a dopamine transfer deficit, which manifests

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FAB Essay 1 16/10/2015 Daniel Howard dh530@cam.ac.uk

as a greater responsivity to small, immediate reinforcement, rather than larger, delayed

reinforcement (Tripp & Wickens, 2007). In individuals with the DRD4-7R+ genotype, negative

feedback learning is impaired, with individual sensitive interaction and positive feedback

having a much greater effect at reduced externalising problem behaviour compared to their

DRD4-7R- counterparts (Taylor & Francis, 2008). Additionally, a crossover interaction is

exhibited in association with altruistic behaviour and the DRD4-7R allele; insecure DRD4-7R+

children are shown to donate significantly less, and secure DRD4-7R+ children are shown to

donate significantly more to charity than their DRD4-7R- counterparts (Bakermans-

Kranenburg & Van IJzendoorn, 2011). Another genetic association to so-called Orchid

personalities may be found with variants of the glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1, also

associated with increased risk for externalising behaviours in control group children, and

decreased risk in intervention group children (Albert et al, 2015).

In the light of a potentially polygenic nature to differential susceptibility, the metaphor

of delineating into distinct Orchid and Dandelion categories is weakened. Treatment and

intervention restricted to those thought to be Orchids based on a single or small number of

genetic markers may negatively impact someone whose Orchid-like traits are less obvious, and

who may strongly benefit from the intervention. This is further emphasised by the NR3C1 gene

findings (Albert et al, 2015), which were limited to white children identified as European-

American, meaning blanket treatment of the NR3C1 gene may be ineffective in non-white

children, whilst children who do not have the NR3C1 gene but could benefit from the treatment

will be disregarded. In the same way, utilising strict analytical criteria such as a DSM-V list of

typical symptoms to diagnose somebody as having a condition such as ADHD may neglect

those who have a more milder presentation of the condition, but would equally benefit from

treatment. An appreciable metaphor for the situation is that pollution does not affect every

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PBS6 Essay 1 06/11/2017 Daniel Howard dh530@cam.ac.uk

individual to a similar extent, but this doesnt imply that we dont need to fight pollution; the

target is externalising behaviour, not the Orchid-like nature.

One of the most compelling moral arguments against the Orchids and Dandelions

metaphor is that, whilst Orchids are most vulnerable in suboptimal conditions, this does not

excuse neglect or lessened investment with Dandelions during childhood. Behavioural

problems are still present in non-susceptible children, the so-called Dandelions, and whilst in

some trials, such as the VIPP sensitive discipline (VIPP-SD) trial (Taylor & Francis, 2008),

positive discipline does not appear to have any significant impact on reducing externalising

behaviour compared to controls in DRD4-7R- individuals, this doesnt mean that these

externalising behaviours cannot be reduced in other ways. That said, the targeting of specific

treatment to those who have been proven to benefit most from it, and retiring it for those who

show little positive improvement is not necessarily a bad thing, it merely merits further trials

to investigate the efficacy of treatment in more scenarios.

Whilst overly categorical and morally dubious, the Orchids and Dandelions metaphor

has some value as it is true that there are some high-risk groups who, in the absence of positive

childhood experiences, are much more likely to go on to develop psychopathology such as

ADHD. Targeting these groups for treatment is not necessarily bad, but may be somewhat

myopic, as with the NR3C1 gene example, treatment may only be efficacious in a certain race,

and if treatment comes with the consequence of neglect for the so-called Dandelions, it may

emerge that over-looked traits manifest with Orchid-like behaviour.

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FAB Essay 1 16/10/2015 Daniel Howard dh530@cam.ac.uk

Bibliography:

Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, van Ijzendoorn MH (2011). Differential susceptibility to

rearing environment depending on dopamine-related genes: new evidence and a meta-analysis.
Dev Psychopathol. 2011 Feb;23(1):39-52. doi: 10.1017/S0954579410000635. PubMed PMID:
21262038.

Belsky, J. (2005). The developmental and evolutionary psychology of intergenerational

transmission of attachment. In C. S. Carter, L. Ahnert, K. E. Grossmann, S. B. Hrdy, M. E.
Lamb, S. W. Porges, & N. Sachser (Eds.), Attachment and Bonding: A New Synthesis (pp.
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Kennedy E. (2013) Orchids and dandelions: how some children are more susceptible to
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Tripp, G. and Wickens, J. R. (2008), Research Review: Dopamine transfer deficit: a

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Albert. (2015). Can Genetics Predict Response to Complex Behavioral Interventions?

Evidence from a Genetic Analysis of the Fast Track Randomized Control Trial. Journal of
policy analysis and management: [the journal of the Association for Public Policy Analysis
and Management] 34.3 (2015): 497518. Print.

Nikolaidis A, Gray JR (2010) ADHD and the DRD4 exon III 7-repeat polymorphism: an
international meta-analysis. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2010 Jun;5(2-3):188-93.
doi: 10.1093/scan/nsp049. Epub 2009 Dec 17. Review. PubMed PMID: 20019071; PubMed
Central PMCID: PMC2894686.