SAEDNEWS: Daniel Bell Skye, the study’s lead researcher, said the findings suggest that genes linked to education may reflect biological processes that influence human development and contribute to success in education, work, and financial outcomes.
According to a report by Saed News Agency’s university research service, citing Soraya:
Scientists have found that “social dynamics” are partly encoded in human genes, which may contribute to an individual’s likelihood of success or wealth.
A study conducted on 20,000 participants from the United Kingdom, the United States, and New Zealand showed that individuals with certain genetic variations tended to have higher incomes, better jobs, and stronger educational attainment.
Regardless of their social class background, their genes may help explain differences in life performance.
The research, conducted at the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, used a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 20,000 individuals from the UK, New Zealand, and the US. Participants were tracked from childhood into adulthood.
A GWAS is a genetic method that scans the entire genome for small variations across large groups of individuals. The goal is to identify statistical associations between specific genetic variants and observable traits.
In this study, thousands of small genetic variations previously associated with “educational attainment” and “academic performance” were analyzed.
Researchers found that both men and women carrying education-related genetic markers tended to perform better academically.
These same genetic factors were also associated with greater likelihood of achieving success in education, occupation, and income outcomes.
Individuals with higher polygenic scores, regardless of their family background or social class, tended to perform better in education, work, and wealth indicators.
Daniel Bellasky, the lead researcher from the university’s department of science, stated that the findings suggest education-related genes may provide insights into biological processes influencing human development, which in turn can affect educational achievement, career outcomes, and ultimately economic success.
He also noted that a mother’s genetic score may help predict her child’s educational progress, suggesting that changes in individual behavior could potentially influence outcomes for future generations.
The findings were published in the journal Psychological Science.
