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Heritability of Functional Literacy: Evidence from a Classical Twin Design
Nikita Kolachev1, Galina Kovaleva2
1Department of Psychology, HSE University, Armyanskiy per. 4, c2, Moscow, Russian Federation. nkolachev@hse.ru.
Behavior Genetics
|May 26, 2026
Summary
This study found substantial genetic influence on functional literacy in Russian adolescents, with heritability estimates around 70-76%. Environmental factors played a minimal role in these cognitive abilities.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Genetics
- Educational Psychology
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Functional literacy, crucial for academic and economic success, has been studied extensively, but its heritability, especially in non-Western populations, remains underexplored.
- Previous research focused on general cognitive ability, leaving competency-based literacy measures like those in the PISA framework under-examined from a genetic perspective.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide the first twin-based heritability estimates for Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)-type functional literacy in Russia.
- To investigate the genetic and environmental contributions to mathematical, reading, and scientific literacy in Russian adolescents.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a sample of 114 twin pairs (ages 14-15) from a large, nationally representative Russian student cohort.
- Applied a bifactor item-response theory model to derive latent ability scores, followed by classical twin structural-equation modeling to estimate genetic (A), shared environmental (C), and non-shared environmental (E) influences.
- Assessed functional literacy, mathematical literacy, reading literacy, and scientific literacy using PISA-type measures.
Main Results:
- Heritability estimates for functional literacy were substantial, ranging from 0.69 for reading literacy to 0.76 for overall functional literacy.
- Mathematical literacy (0.72), and scientific literacy (0.71) also showed high heritability.
- Shared environmental influences (C) were negligible and non-significant across all literacy measures, with the AE model fitting best.
Conclusions:
- Genetic factors significantly contribute to functional literacy and its domain-specific components in Russian adolescents.
- These findings underscore the robustness of the behavioral-genetic architecture of cognitive abilities across diverse cultural and educational contexts.
- The study highlights the limited role of shared environment in shaping these literacy skills in the studied population.
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