BGmisc: An R Package for Extended Behavior Genetics Analysis

Area of Science:

• Behavioral genetics
• Quantitative genetics
• Human behavioral biology

Background:

• Twin studies are traditional in behavior genetics for understanding genetic and environmental influences.
• Recent research incorporates complex family designs like children-of-twins (CoT) and mother-daughter-aunt-niece (MDAN) studies.
• These advanced designs provide richer insights but pose data analysis challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce BGmisc, a software package designed to simplify the analysis of complex family data in behavior genetics.
• To provide a flexible tool for researchers studying gene-environment interplay across various family structures.

Main Methods:

• The study presents the BGmisc software package.
• BGmisc offers functions to manage and analyze data from diverse family structures, including twins and extended pedigrees.
• The package is designed for ease of use and adaptability to different research needs.

Main Results:

• BGmisc effectively accommodates complex family structures, simplifying data analysis.
• The software supports a range of family sizes and relationship types.
• This facilitates more detailed investigation into behavioral traits.

Conclusions:

• BGmisc enhances the analytical capabilities for behavior genetics research.
• The tool supports the growing trend towards complex family designs.
• It aids researchers in disentangling genetic and environmental contributions to behavior.