Genetic influence on family socioeconomic status and children's intelligence.
Environmental measures used widely in the behavioral sciences show nearly as much genetic influence as behavioral measures, a critical finding for interpreting associations between environmental factors and children's development. This research depends on the twin method that compares monozygotic and dizygotic twins, but key aspects of children's environment such as socioeconomic status (SES) cannot be investigated in twin studies because they are the same for children growing up together in a family. Here, using a new technique applied to DNA from 3000 unrelated children, we show significant genetic influence on family SES, and on its association with children's IQ at ages 7 and 12. In addition to demonstrating the ability to investigate genetic influence on between-family environmental measures, our results emphasize the need to consider genetics in research and policy on family SES and its association with children's IQ.
King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom.
Maciej
M
Trzaskowski
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 345 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309, United States.
Nicole
N
Harlaar
King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom.
Rosalind
R
Arden
King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom.
Eva
E
Krapohl
King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom.
Kaili
K
Rimfeld
King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom.
Andrew
A
McMillan
Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of New Mexico, 1700 Lomas Blvd, NE Suite 1300, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States.
Philip S
PS
Dale
King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom.
Robert
R
Plomin
Cognitive abilities; GCTA; Intelligence; SES; Socioeconomic status