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Intelligence correlations between brothers decrease with increasing age difference: evidence for shared environmental

Jon Martin Sundet¹, Willy Eriksen, Kristian Tambs

¹Institute of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway. j.m.sundet@psykologi.uio.no

Psychological Science

|October 25, 2008

Summary

Genetic factors significantly influence intelligence similarities, but family environment also impacts young adults. This study examined over 334,000 Norwegian brother pairs to understand these influences.

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Area of Science:

Behavioral Genetics
Developmental Psychology
Human Intelligence

Background:

Previous research suggests genetic factors primarily explain intelligence similarities, especially in adults.
Twin and adoption studies, while informative, face criticisms regarding environmental effect estimations.
Alternative family structures warrant investigation to clarify environmental influences on intelligence.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of shared genes versus family environment in shaping intelligence similarities in young adults.
To address limitations in traditional twin and adoption study designs by examining sibling pairs.
To determine if environmental factors influence intelligence test score correlations among brothers.

Main Methods:

Utilized a large dataset of over 334,000 pairs of brothers (ages 18-21) from Norwegian military conscription records.
Analyzed intelligence-test scores to calculate correlations between brothers.
Examined how the age difference between brothers correlated with the similarity of their intelligence scores.

Main Results:

A significant negative correlation was found between the age difference of brothers and the similarity of their intelligence-test scores.
This finding indicates that shared family environmental factors influence the intelligence of young adult brothers.
The observed environmental effect was consistent across different family sizes and parental education levels.

Conclusions:

Family environmental factors play a discernible role in the intelligence of young adults, contrary to some previous assumptions.
The age difference between siblings is a crucial factor in assessing the impact of shared environment on intelligence.
This study provides evidence supporting the influence of environmental factors beyond genetic heritability in shaping adult intelligence.