The etiology of science performance: decreasing heritability and increasing importance of the shared environment from 9 to 12 years of age

Claire M A Haworth, Philip S Dale, Robert Plomin, Claire M A Haworth, Philip S Dale, Robert Plomin

Abstract

During childhood and adolescence, increases in heritability and decreases in shared environmental influences have typically been found for cognitive abilities. A sample of more than 2,500 pairs of twins from the Twins Early Development Study was used to investigate whether a similar pattern would be found for science performance from 9 to 12 years. Science performance was based on teacher-assessed U.K. National Curriculum standards. Science at 9 years showed high heritability (64%) and modest shared environmental (16%) estimates. In contrast to the expected developmental pattern, heritability was significantly lower at 12 years (47%) and shared environmental influences were significantly higher (32%). Understanding what these increasingly important shared environmental influences are could lead to interventions that encourage engagement in science throughout the lifespan.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Common pathway model for science performance from 9 to 12 years. Note. EN= scientific enquiry; LI = life processes; PH = physical processes; MA = materials and their properties; A = additive genetic; C = shared environment; E = nonshared environment; rA = genetic correlation; rC = shared environment correlation; rE = nonshared environment correlation.

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