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Confounding fuels misinterpretation in human genetics
John W Benning1,2, Jedidiah Carlson3,4,5, Olivia S Smith3,4
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|November 5, 2025
Summary
Studies exploring genetic influences on behavior and socioeconomic outcomes often struggle to separate genetic from non-genetic factors. Rigorous analysis is crucial to prevent misinterpreting genetic data.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral genetics
- Socioeconomic studies
- Human behavior research
Background:
- Growing interest in genetic influences on human behavior and socioeconomic outcomes.
- A key challenge is distinguishing causal genetic influences from non-genetic ones.
- Failure to address confounding factors leads to data misinterpretation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the problem of confounding in genetic studies of human behavior.
- To reanalyze two specific studies to illustrate methodological flaws.
- To discuss the broader implications for research on genetic underpinnings of human traits.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of genetic influence studies.
- Reanalysis of two published examples demonstrating confounding.
- Critical examination of causal inference in behavioral genetics.
Main Results:
- Reanalysis revealed conflation of genetic and non-genetic transmission (e.g., wealth) in a study on social status.
- Another reanalysis showed a study selected one explanation for genetic variants in bisexual behavior without ruling out alternatives.
- Both examples illustrate how confounding leads to unsupported conclusions.
Conclusions:
- Confounding between genetic and non-genetic factors is a pervasive issue in behavioral genetics.
- Studies claiming genetic underpinnings for human behavior require careful methodological scrutiny.
- Distinguishing genetic from environmental influences is critical for accurate scientific interpretation.
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