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An Allele-specific Gene Expression Assay to Test the Functional Basis of Genetic Associations

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Genetic influence on human intelligence (Spearman's g): how much?

Thomas J Bouchard¹

¹Psychology Department, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0344, USA. bouch001@umn.edu

Annals of Human Biology

|July 28, 2009

Summary

Heritability of intelligence is confirmed through structural equation modeling. Genetic influences on intelligence grow over time, while shared environmental influences diminish by adulthood.

Area of Science:

Behavioral genetics
Population genetics
Psychometrics

Background:

Heritability statistic's conceptual background and history.
Structural equation modeling (SEM) in modern genetics.
SEM's application in human behavior genetics.

Discussion:

SEM as a tool for behavioral phenotypes and 'strong inference'.
Application of 'strong inference' using SEM in human intelligence research.
Demonstrating SEM's utility in refuting scientific hypotheses.

Key Insights:

Spearman's general intelligence factor (g) is a confirmed scientific hypothesis.
Genetic and environmental influences on intelligence (g) change over time.
Shared environmental influences on g are significant early in life but negligible in adulthood.

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Using Cholesky Decomposition to Explore Individual Differences in Longitudinal Relations between Reading Skills

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Outlook:

Documenting significant genetic influence on adult intelligence (g) through multiple lines of evidence.
Replication of findings on genetic and environmental influences on g.
Continued application of SEM for robust hypothesis testing in behavioral genetics.