Generalist Genes and High Cognitive Abilities

Claire M. A. Haworth; Philip S. Dale; Robert Plomin

doi:10.1007/s10519-009-9271-2

Generalist Genes and High Cognitive Abilities

Claire M. A. Haworth, Philip S. Dale, Robert Plomin

Social Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The concept of generalist genes operating across diverse domains of cognitive abilities is now widely accepted. Much less is known about the etiology of the high extreme of performance. Is there more specialization at the high extreme? Using a representative sample of 4,000 12-year-old twin pairs from the UK Twins Early Development Study, we investigated the genetic and environmental overlap between web-based tests of general cognitive ability, reading, mathematics and language performance for the top 15% of the distribution using DF extremes analysis. Generalist genes are just as evident at the high extremes of performance as they are for the entire distribution of abilities and for cognitive disabilities. However, a smaller proportion of the phenotypic intercorrelations appears to be explained by genetic influences for high abilities.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	437 - 445
Number of pages	9
Journal	Behavior Genetics
Volume	39
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-009-9271-2
Publication status	Published - Jul 2009

Keywords

Genetics
High cognitive abilities
Twins
Generalist genes

Access to Document

10.1007/s10519-009-9271-2

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4067805/

Genetics, school environment and cognitive development.
Plomin, R. (Primary Investigator)
NIH National Institutes of Health
1/02/2010 → 30/11/2015
Project: Research
The genetics of High Cognitive Abilities
Plomin, R. (Primary Investigator)
John Templeton Foundation
1/06/2008 → 30/11/2010
Project: Research
Origins of learning difficulties and behaviour problems: From behavioural genetics to behavioural genomics
Plomin, R. (Primary Investigator)
MRC Medical Research Council
1/10/2005 → 30/09/2010
Project: Research

Cite this

@article{5e357e6233a5422b9cc04e9e621e9b62,

title = "Generalist Genes and High Cognitive Abilities",

abstract = "The concept of generalist genes operating across diverse domains of cognitive abilities is now widely accepted. Much less is known about the etiology of the high extreme of performance. Is there more specialization at the high extreme? Using a representative sample of 4,000 12-year-old twin pairs from the UK Twins Early Development Study, we investigated the genetic and environmental overlap between web-based tests of general cognitive ability, reading, mathematics and language performance for the top 15% of the distribution using DF extremes analysis. Generalist genes are just as evident at the high extremes of performance as they are for the entire distribution of abilities and for cognitive disabilities. However, a smaller proportion of the phenotypic intercorrelations appears to be explained by genetic influences for high abilities.",

keywords = "Genetics , High cognitive abilities , Twins , Generalist genes",

author = "Haworth, {Claire M. A.} and Dale, {Philip S.} and Robert Plomin",

year = "2009",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1007/s10519-009-9271-2",

language = "English",

volume = "39",

pages = "437 -- 445",

journal = "Behavior Genetics",

issn = "1573-3297",

publisher = "Springer New York",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Generalist Genes and High Cognitive Abilities

AU - Haworth, Claire M. A.

AU - Dale, Philip S.

AU - Plomin, Robert

PY - 2009/7

Y1 - 2009/7

N2 - The concept of generalist genes operating across diverse domains of cognitive abilities is now widely accepted. Much less is known about the etiology of the high extreme of performance. Is there more specialization at the high extreme? Using a representative sample of 4,000 12-year-old twin pairs from the UK Twins Early Development Study, we investigated the genetic and environmental overlap between web-based tests of general cognitive ability, reading, mathematics and language performance for the top 15% of the distribution using DF extremes analysis. Generalist genes are just as evident at the high extremes of performance as they are for the entire distribution of abilities and for cognitive disabilities. However, a smaller proportion of the phenotypic intercorrelations appears to be explained by genetic influences for high abilities.

AB - The concept of generalist genes operating across diverse domains of cognitive abilities is now widely accepted. Much less is known about the etiology of the high extreme of performance. Is there more specialization at the high extreme? Using a representative sample of 4,000 12-year-old twin pairs from the UK Twins Early Development Study, we investigated the genetic and environmental overlap between web-based tests of general cognitive ability, reading, mathematics and language performance for the top 15% of the distribution using DF extremes analysis. Generalist genes are just as evident at the high extremes of performance as they are for the entire distribution of abilities and for cognitive disabilities. However, a smaller proportion of the phenotypic intercorrelations appears to be explained by genetic influences for high abilities.

KW - Genetics

KW - High cognitive abilities

KW - Twins

KW - Generalist genes

U2 - 10.1007/s10519-009-9271-2

DO - 10.1007/s10519-009-9271-2

M3 - Article

SN - 1573-3297

VL - 39

SP - 437

EP - 445

JO - Behavior Genetics

JF - Behavior Genetics

IS - 4

ER -

Generalist Genes and High Cognitive Abilities

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

Genetics, school environment and cognitive development.

The genetics of High Cognitive Abilities

Origins of learning difficulties and behaviour problems: From behavioural genetics to behavioural genomics

Cite this