Large Cross-National Differences in Gene × Socioeconomic Status Interaction on Intelligence

Tucker‐Drob, Elliot M.; Bates, Timothy C.

doi:10.1177/0956797615612727

Cited by 294 publications

(259 citation statements)

References 47 publications

(95 reference statements)

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“…Although we have no objective account of parental occupation, the intrapair correlations of the self-reported measures indicated adequate reliability of the social class measure. Finally, we only used data from one country, Sweden, which may be a limitation as it was recently shown that that there are cross-national differences in gene-SES interactions (13). However, recent studies of older adults find no such differences between Scandinavia and the United States (21).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There was also evidence for genetic influences whereby the IQ of the adoptedaway children to some degree was correlated with their biological siblings' IQ. Furthermore, there is some evidence suggesting that the magnitude of genetic influences on IQ may vary across socioeconomic groups, where genetic influences are more important for variance in childhood IQ among children who grow up in socioeconomically privileged homes and environmental factors matter more for children who grow up in socioeconomically disadvantaged homes (12,13). These studies have predominantly focused on quantifying how genetic and environmental components of variance in cross-sectional cognitive data differ as a function of childhood SES but few have examined longitudinal cognitive change and SES.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Childhood social class and cognitive aging in the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging

Ericsson

Lundholm

Fors

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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In this report we analyzed genetically informative data to investigate within-person change and between-person differences in late-life cognitive abilities as a function of childhood social class. We used data from nine testing occasions spanning 28 y in the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging and parental social class based on the Swedish socioeconomic index. Cognitive ability included a general factor and the four domains of verbal, fluid, memory, and perceptual speed. Latent growth curve models of the longitudinal data tested whether level and change in cognitive performance differed as a function of childhood social class. Between-within twin-pair analyses were performed on twins reared apart to assess familial confounding. Childhood social class was significantly associated with mean-level cognitive performance at age 65 y, but not with rate of cognitive change. The association decreased in magnitude but remained significant after adjustments for level of education and the degree to which the rearing family was supportive toward education. A between-pair effect of childhood social class was significant in all cognitive domains, whereas within-pair estimates were attenuated, indicating genetic confounding. Thus, childhood social class is important for cognitive performance in adulthood on a population level, but the association is largely attributable to genetic influences. childhood social class | cognitive aging | adoption | twins

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Childhood social class and cognitive aging in the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging

Ericsson

Lundholm

Fors

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…Haworth et al, 2010;Polderman et al, 2015;Tucker-Drob & Bates, 2016) also supports the Gene-Gini interplay. Unlike numeracy and literacy, for which heritability remains stably high throughout the school system, heritability of IQ is moderate in primary school and continues to increase throughout education (Kovas et al, 2013).…”

mentioning

confidence: 68%

“…A recent metaanalysis further supported this explanation in relation to intelligence and academic achievement (Tucker-Drob & Bates, 2016). The study examined differences in heritability between higher and lower SES groups within the US, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK.…”

Section: Genes and Gini 13mentioning

confidence: 96%

“…A disadvantaged environment may reduce genetic effects because it lacks 'food' (educational opportunity, resources, encouragement, choice of activities) for children's genetic 'appetite' for learning. In other words, genetically influenced potentials for adaptive functioning may express more in enriched environments (see Tucker-Drob & Bates, 2016, for more detail on the Scarr-Rowe Hypothesis of Gene by SES interaction).…”

Section: Gene-gini Interplay: How Genetic Effects On Life Outcomes Chmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Genes and Gini: What Inequality Means for Heritability

Selita

Kovas

2018

J. Biosoc. Sci.

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Summary. Research has established that genetic differences among people explain a greater or smaller proportion of the variation in life outcomes in different environmental conditions. This review evaluates the results of recent educationally relevant behavioural genetic studies and meta-analyses in the context of recent trends in income and wealth distribution. The pattern of results suggests that inequality and social policies can have profound effects on the heritability of educational attainment and achievement in a population (Gene-Gini interplay). For example, heritability is generally higher at greater equality levels, suggesting that inequality stifles the expression of educationally relevant genetic propensities. The review concludes with a discussion of the mechanisms of Gene-Gini interplay and what the findings mean for efforts to optimize education for all people.

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Identification of Modifiable Social and Behavioral Factors Associated With Childhood Cognitive Performance

et al. 2020

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social environments are likely associated with a large portion of racial disparities in childhood cognitive performance. Identification of the specific exposures associated with cognitive development is needed to inform prevention efforts.OBJECTIVE To identify modifiable factors associated with childhood cognitive performance. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSThis longitudinal pregnancy cohort study included 1503 mother-child dyads who were enrolled in the University of Tennessee Health Science Center-Conditions Affecting Neurodevelopment and Learning in Early Life study between December 1, 2006, and July 31, 2011, and assessed annually until the children were aged 4 to 6 years. The analytic sample comprised 1055 mother-child dyads. A total of 155 prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal exposures were included to evaluate environment-wide associations. Participants comprised a community-based sample of pregnant women who were recruited between 16 weeks and 28 weeks of gestation from 4 hospitals in Shelby County, Tennessee. Women with high-risk pregnancies were excluded. Data were analyzed from June 1, 2018, to April 15, 2019. EXPOSURES Individual and neighborhood socioeconomic position, family structure, maternal mental health, nutrition, delivery complications, birth outcomes, and parenting behaviors. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Child's full-scale IQ measured by the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition, at age 4 to 6 years. RESULTSOf 1055 children included in the analytic sample, 532 (50.4%) were female. Among mothers, the mean (SD) age was 26.0 (5.6) years; 676 mothers (64.1%) were Black, and 623 mothers (59.0%) had an educational level of high school or less. Twenty-four factors were retained in the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis and full models adjusted for potential confounding. Associations were noted between child cognitive performance and parental education and breastfeeding; for each increase of 1.0 SD in exposure, positive associations were found with cognitive growth fostering from observed parent-child interactions (β = 1.12; 95% CI, 0.24-2.00) and maternal reading ability (β = 1.42; 95% CI, 0.16-2.68), and negative associations were found with parenting stress (β = −1.04; 95% CI, −1.86 to −0.21). A moderate increase in these beneficial exposures was associated with a notable improvement in estimated cognitive test scores using marginal means (0.5% of an SD). Black children experienced fewer beneficial cognitive performance exposures; in a model including all 24 exposures and covariates, no racial disparity was observed in cognitive performance (95% CIs for race included the null). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCEThe prospective analysis identified multiple beneficial and modifiable cognitive performance exposures that were associated with mean differences in cognitive performance by race. The findings from this observational study may help guide experimental studies focused on reducing racial disparities in childhood cognitive performance.

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Large Cross-National Differences in Gene × Socioeconomic Status Interaction on Intelligence

Cited by 294 publications

References 47 publications

Childhood social class and cognitive aging in the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging

Childhood social class and cognitive aging in the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging

Genes and Gini: What Inequality Means for Heritability

Identification of Modifiable Social and Behavioral Factors Associated With Childhood Cognitive Performance

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