Can GE-Covariance Originating in Phenotype to Environment Transmission Account for the Flynn Effect?

The Dickens and Flynn model of the Flynn effect (generational increases in mean IQ) assigns an important role to genotype-environment covariance (GE-cov). We quantify GE-cov in a longitudinal simplex model by modeling it as phenotype to environment (Ph->E) transmission in twin data. The model fit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of intelligence 2014-09, Vol.2 (3), p.82-105
Main Authors: de Kort, Janneke, Dolan, Conor, Kan, Kees-Jan, van Beijsterveldt, Catharina, Bartels, Meike, Boomsma, Dorret
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Dickens and Flynn model
Environment
Flynn effect
Genotype & phenotype
genotype-environment covariance
Intelligence
longitudinal genetic modeling
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Summary:The Dickens and Flynn model of the Flynn effect (generational increases in mean IQ) assigns an important role to genotype-environment covariance (GE-cov). We quantify GE-cov in a longitudinal simplex model by modeling it as phenotype to environment (Ph->E) transmission in twin data. The model fits as well as the standard genetic simplex model, which assumes uncorrelated genetic and environmental influences. We use the results to explore numerically the possible role of GE-cov in amplifying increases in environmental means. Given the estimated Ph->E transmission parameters, GE-cov resulted in an amplification (in std units) of a factor 1.57 (full scale IQ) to 1.7 (performance IQ). The results lend credence to the role of GE-cov in the Flynn effect.
ISSN:2079-3200
2079-3200
DOI:10.3390/jintelligence2030082