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Estimating effects of parents’ cognitive and non-cognitive skills on offspring education using polygenic scores

Author

Listed:
  • Perline A. Demange

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
    Amsterdam University Medical Centers
    Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

  • Jouke Jan Hottenga

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

  • Abdel Abdellaoui

    (University of Amsterdam)

  • Espen Moen Eilertsen

    (University of Oslo
    Norwegian Institute of Public Health)

  • Margherita Malanchini

    (Queen Mary University of London
    King’s College London)

  • Benjamin W. Domingue

    (Stanford University
    Stanford University
    Stanford University)

  • Emma Armstrong-Carter

    (Stanford University
    Stanford University)

  • Eveline L. Zeeuw

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
    Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

  • Kaili Rimfeld

    (King’s College London
    Royal Holloway University of London)

  • Dorret I. Boomsma

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

  • Elsje Bergen

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
    Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

  • Gerome Breen

    (King’s College London
    South London and Maudsley NHS Trust)

  • Michel G. Nivard

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

  • Rosa Cheesman

    (University of Oslo
    King’s College London)

Abstract

Understanding how parents’ cognitive and non-cognitive skills influence offspring education is essential for educational, family and economic policy. We use genetics (GWAS-by-subtraction) to assess a latent, broad non-cognitive skills dimension. To index parental effects controlling for genetic transmission, we estimate indirect parental genetic effects of polygenic scores on childhood and adulthood educational outcomes, using siblings (N = 47,459), adoptees (N = 6407), and parent-offspring trios (N = 2534) in three UK and Dutch cohorts. We find that parental cognitive and non-cognitive skills affect offspring education through their environment: on average across cohorts and designs, indirect genetic effects explain 36–40% of population polygenic score associations. However, indirect genetic effects are lower for achievement in the Dutch cohort, and for the adoption design. We identify potential causes of higher sibling- and trio-based estimates: prenatal indirect genetic effects, population stratification, and assortative mating. Our phenotype-agnostic, genetically sensitive approach has established overall environmental effects of parents’ skills, facilitating future mechanistic work.

Suggested Citation

  • Perline A. Demange & Jouke Jan Hottenga & Abdel Abdellaoui & Espen Moen Eilertsen & Margherita Malanchini & Benjamin W. Domingue & Emma Armstrong-Carter & Eveline L. Zeeuw & Kaili Rimfeld & Dorret I. , 2022. "Estimating effects of parents’ cognitive and non-cognitive skills on offspring education using polygenic scores," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-32003-x
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32003-x
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    Cited by:

    1. Hans Fredrik Sunde & Nikolai Haahjem Eftedal & Rosa Cheesman & Elizabeth C. Corfield & Thomas H. Kleppesto & Anne Caroline Seierstad & Eivind Ystrom & Espen Moen Eilertsen & Fartein Ask Torvik, 2024. "Genetic similarity between relatives provides evidence on the presence and history of assortative mating," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.

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