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Genome-wide association study and the randomized controlled trial: A false equivalence.

Paul Siegel1

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Within-family genome-wide association studies (GWASs) offer insights into genetic causes but are not equivalent to randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Their ability to establish behavioral genetics as a causal science remains uncertain.

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Genetics
  • Genetics
  • Psychology

Background:

  • The equivalence of findings from within-family genome-wide association studies (GWASs) and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is debated.
  • Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) aim to identify genetic associations with traits.
  • Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are a gold standard for establishing causality.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically evaluate the assertion that within-family GWAS findings are equivalent to RCT findings.
  • To analyze the distinct characteristics of GWASs and RCTs in the context of behavioral genetics.
  • To assess the potential of within-family GWASs to advance behavioral genetics as a causal science.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of methodologies and interpretability of within-family GWASs and RCTs.
  • Examination of the "non-unitary, non-uniform, and non-explanatory" nature of GWAS findings.
  • Literature review and conceptual critique of causal inference in behavioral genetics.

Main Results:

  • Findings from within-family GWASs are not equivalent to those from RCTs.
  • GWASs exhibit greater "non-unitary, non-uniform, and non-explanatory" properties compared to RCTs.
  • Within-family GWASs improve the identification of genetic causes but do not guarantee causal inference.

Conclusions:

  • The claim of equivalence between within-family GWASs and RCTs is misleading.
  • While within-family GWASs advance genetic discovery, their role in establishing causality in behavioral genetics is still an open question.
  • Further methodological development is needed to strengthen causal claims in behavioral genetics using genetic association data.