Interaction between experience seeking and genetic and environmental                     influences on general cognitive ability.
Although it is well established that experience seeking behavior (ES) is                    positively related to cognitive functioning, the mechanisms underlying this                    association are not clearly understood. In a large sample of adult twins and                    siblings (N = 864, age range 23-75), we studied the causes of                    covariation between ES and general cognitive ability and we studied whether ES                    moderates the genetic and environmental causes of variation in general cognitive                    ability. Results demonstrate a phenotypic correlation of .17 (p <.001)                    between general cognitive ability and ES, with a common genetic and common                    environmental background. Moreover, the extent to which genetic and                    environmental factors are shared between general cognitive ability and ES is                    increased in individuals with either lower or higher levels of ES. In addition,                    the extent to which genetic and environmental factors influence individual                    differences in general cognitive ability in adults partly depended on ES.                    Standardized influences of additive genetic factors on general cognitive ability                    ranged from 13% to 99%, with lower estimates in higher levels of ES, while                    standardized estimates of environmental factors ranged from almost 1% to 87%,                    with higher estimates in higher levels of ES. Hence, ES and cognitive ability                    are not only associated through common genetic and environmental factors, but                    also via moderating effects of genetic and environmental influences on cognitive                    ability by ES. These findings have implications for future studies on the                    association between ES and general cognitive ability, and for future research on                    the genetics of cognitive ability.
Complex Trait Genetics, Department of Functional Genomics & Department of Clinical Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), FALW-VUA, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The, Netherlands. anna.vinkhuyzen@uq.edu.au
Anna A E
AA
Vinkhuyzen
Sophie
S
van der Sluis
Danielle
D
Posthuma
D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics; D012931:Social Environment; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic / Q000235:genetics; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000235:genetics