Genetic Influence on Intergenerational Educational Attainment. (September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ayorech, Ziada; Krapohl, Eva; Plomin, Robert; von Stumm, Sophie
• Is Part Of: Psychological science. Volume 28:Number 9(2017)
• Page Start: 1302
• Page End: 1310
• Publication Date: 2017-09
• Subjects: intergenerational educational attainment -- twin studies -- behavioral genetics -- polygenic score; Psychology -- Periodicals; 150.5
• DOI: 10.1177/0956797617707270
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0956-7976

Abstract

Using twin (6, 105 twin pairs) and genomic (5, 825 unrelated individuals taken from the twin sample) analyses, we tested for genetic influences on the parent-offspring correspondence in educational attainment. Genetics accounted for nearly half of the variance in intergenerational educational attainment. A genomewide polygenic score (GPS) for years of education was also associated with intergenerational educational attainment: The highest and lowest GPS means were found for offspring in stably educated families (i.e., who had taken A Levels and had a university-educated parent; M = 0.43, SD = 0.97) and stably uneducated families (i.e., who had not taken A Levels and had no university-educated parent; M = −0.19, SD = 0.97). The average GPSs fell in between for children who were upwardly mobile (i.e., who had taken A Levels but had no university-educated parent; M = 0.05, SD = 0.96) and children who were downwardly mobile (i.e., who had not taken A Levels but had a university-educated parent; M = 0.28, SD = 1.03). Genetic influences on intergenerational educational attainment can be viewed as an index of equality of educational opportunity.