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Socioeconomic status amplifies genetic effects in middle childhood in a large German twin sample

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  • Gottschling, J.
  • Hahn, E.
  • Beam, C.R.
  • Spinath, F.M.
  • Carroll, S.
  • Turkheimer, E.

Abstract

The Scarr-Rowe hypothesis predicts that the heritability of cognitive abilities is higher in more privileged socioeconomic conditions, meaning that genetic potential can be more fully expressed in environments characterized by high socioeconomic status (SES) compared to low SES. This gene × SES interaction, however, has been replicated mostly in the United States, but not in other Western nations like the United Kingdom. In the current study, we tested the interaction between childhood SES and the heritability of cognitive ability in 3074 German twin pairs comprising three age cohorts at different developmental stages (mean ages of 11, 17, and 23 years). Higher SES was associated with significantly higher mean cognitive ability scores in the two younger cohorts, with reduced variances at higher SES levels. Results further support the Scarr-Rowe hypothesis in middle childhood, and to some degree in adolescence, but not in adulthood. This indicates that the role of family SES as a moderator of the heritability of cognitive ability changes as children grow older. Moreover, children's shared experiences appear to be explain more variance in cognitive ability at the lower end of the SES distribution in middle childhood and adolescence.

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  • Gottschling, J. & Hahn, E. & Beam, C.R. & Spinath, F.M. & Carroll, S. & Turkheimer, E., 2019. "Socioeconomic status amplifies genetic effects in middle childhood in a large German twin sample," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 20-27.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:intell:v:72:y:2019:i:c:p:20-27
    DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2018.11.006
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    1. Paulus, Lena & Spinath, Frank M. & Hahn, Elisabeth, 2021. "How do educational inequalities develop? The role of socioeconomic status, cognitive ability, home environment, and self-efficacy along the educational path," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    2. Pesta, Bryan J. & Kirkegaard, Emil O.W. & te Nijenhuis, Jan & Lasker, Jordan & Fuerst, John G.R., 2020. "Racial and ethnic group differences in the heritability of intelligence: A systematic review and meta-analysis," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    3. Das, Aniruddha, 2021. "The relational genomics of cognitive function: A longitudinal study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    4. Lang Volker & Weigel Lena & Mönkediek Bastian & Eichhorn Harald & Kottwitz Anita & Krell Kristina & Diewald Martin & Baum Myriam A. & Hahn Elisabeth & Klatzka Christoph H. & Spinath Frank M. & Eifler , 2020. "An Introduction to the German Twin Family Panel (TwinLife)," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 240(6), pages 837-847, December.

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