Developmental behavioral genetics research on school achievement is missing vulnerable children, to our detriment

Holden, LaTasha R; Haughbrook, Rasheda; Hart, Sara A.

doi:10.1002/cad.20485

Cited by 20 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Though smart phones are quite common, this requirement could have inflated the number of high socioeconomic status participants in our sample. When research lacks socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic diversity, the findings are less generalizable and translatable, which can exacerbate existing disparities in many different psychological and behavioral outcomes (Holden et al, 2022). This lack of generalizability is often discussed as a significant concern in scientific research.…”

Section: Constraints On Generalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations between executive functions assessed in different contexts in a genetically informative sample.

Freis,

Alexander,

Anderson

et al. 2024

Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

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Executive functions (EFs) are cognitive functions that help direct goal-related behavior. EFs are usually measured via behavioral tasks assessed in highly controlled laboratory settings under the supervision of a research assistant. Online versions of EF tasks are an increasingly popular alternative to in-lab testing. However, researchers do not have the same control over the testing environment during online EF assessments. To assess the extent to which EFs assessed in-lab and online are related, we used data from the Colorado Online Twin Study (CoTwins; 887 individual twins aged 13.98-19.05) and constructed an Lab Common EF factor and an Online Common EF factor from four EF tasks assessed in-lab and online. The Lab Common and Online Common EF factors were genetically identical (rA = 1.00) but phenotypically separable (r = .77, 95% confidence interval [0.59, 0.94]) indicating that these EF factors have the same genetic underpinnings but may be differentially influenced by environmental factors. We examined phenotypic, genetic, and environmental correlations between the EF factors and a general cognitive ability factor (g) assessed in the lab and found similar relationships between Lab Common EF and g and Online Common EF and g. Overall, these results suggest that Common EF factors assessed in different contexts are highly related to each other and similarly related to other cognitive outcomes. These findings indicate that online task-based EF assessments could be a viable strategy for increasing sample sizes in large-scale studies, particularly genetically informed studies. Public Significance StatementThis study highlights that performance on online cognitive tasks show a close correspondence to cognitive tasks administered in highly controlled laboratory settings, suggesting that at-home online cognitive tasks are valid. Online cognitive tasks could be more accessible to administer and incorporate into clinical, academic, and research settings.

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Section: Constraints On Generalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations between executive functions assessed in different contexts in a genetically informative sample.

Freis,

Alexander,

Anderson

et al. 2024

Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

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“…Previously, several scholars have called for more culturally inclusive (Gutchess & Rajaram, 2022; Holden & Hart, 2021; Holden & Tanenbaum, 2023; Spencer et al, 1997; Sternberg et al, 2001; Thomas, 2020) and critical perspectives on the science of human cognition (Basnight‐Brown et al, 2023; Holden et al, 2022; Miller‐Cotto et al, 2021; Prather, 2021, 2023; Prather et al, 2022; Syed, 2021) in addition to greater examination of heterogeneity in academic and educational intervention efficacy (Bryan et al, 2021; Burnette et al, 2022; Tipton et al, 2022). We argue that a focus on cognitive universals undermines our ability to conduct science in the most inclusive ways.…”

Section: Moving Beyond the Cognitive Universal View Is Necessary For ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward inclusive and identity safe learning for supporting racialized student achievement

Holden,

Tanenbaum,

Ashley

2023

Infant and Child Development

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Students racialized as Black often experience forms of marginalization and encounter unique obstacles in their educational paths. As a result, more inclusive and tailored forms of support should be developed. Working to better support Black students should be initiated through two complementary sides—through that of the instructor and the scientist. First, we consider the importance of identity‐safety and detail identity‐based barriers Black students experience in their learning environments. We then define the notion of cognitive universals and discuss how it limits the effectiveness of science and its translation to more inclusive practices. We argue that to strengthen tailored forms of student support, we must move beyond focusing only on cognitive universals and more carefully consider heterogeneity of effects. To support our argument, we present evidence‐based strategies from cognitive and learning science and educational interventions research to combat identity‐based barriers and boost learning gains. Overall, we urge instructors and scientists to consider a variety of techniques to create more identity‐safe and inclusive learning environments for Black students.

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“…The uncritical use of RCTs as an analogue for genetic effects opens their arguments to many criticisms, ones that are already prominent in work on behavior genetics. Among others, these include insufficient attention to conceptualization (Nguyen, Syed, & McGue, 2021) and measurement (Pelt, Schwabe, & Bartels, 2022) of the target phenotype and lack of sample diversity when seeking to establish generalizable claims (Holden, Haughbrook, & Hart, 2022). By not incorporating these major concerns in their paper, M&H unfortunately compound, rather than resolve, these issues in their otherwise productive set of arguments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building causal knowledge in behavior genetics

Madole

Harden

2022

Behav Brain Sci

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Behavior genetics is a controversial science. For decades, scholars have sought to understand the role of heredity in human behavior and life-course outcomes. Recently, technological advances and the rapid expansion of genomic databases have facilitated the discovery of genes associated with human phenotypes like educational attainment and substance use disorders. To maximize the potential of this flourishing science, and to minimize potential harms, careful analysis of what it would mean for genes to be causes of human behavior is needed. In this paper, we advance a framework for identifying instances of genetic causes, interpreting those causal relationships, and applying them to advance causal knowledge more generally in the social sciences. Central to thinking about genes as causes is counterfactual reasoning, the cornerstone of causal thinking in statistics, medicine, and philosophy. We argue that within-family genetic effects represent the product of a counterfactual comparison in the same way as average treatment effects from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Both average treatment effects from RCTs and within-family genetic effects are shallow causes: they operate within intricate causal systems (non-unitary), produce heterogeneous effects across individuals (non-uniform), and are not mechanistically informative (non-explanatory). Despite these limitations, shallow causal knowledge can be used to improve understanding of the etiology of human behavior and to explore sources of heterogeneity and fade-out in treatment effects.

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Developmental behavioral genetics research on school achievement is missing vulnerable children, to our detriment

Cited by 20 publications

References 45 publications

Associations between executive functions assessed in different contexts in a genetically informative sample.

Associations between executive functions assessed in different contexts in a genetically informative sample.

Toward inclusive and identity safe learning for supporting racialized student achievement

Building causal knowledge in behavior genetics

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