Investigating the Genetic Architecture of Non-Cognitive Skills Using GWAS-By-Subtraction

Perline A. Demange, Margherita Malanchini, Travis T. Mallard and Pietro Biroli ()
Additional contact information
Perline A. Demange: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Margherita Malanchini: Queen Mary, University of London
Travis T. Mallard: University of Texas at Austin

No 13206, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Educational attainment (EA) is influenced by characteristics other than cognitive ability, but little is known about the genetic architecture of these "non-cognitive" contributions to EA. Here, we use Genomic Structural Equation Modelling and prior genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of EA (N = 1,131,881) and cognitive test performance (N = 257,841) to estimate SNP associations with EA variation that is independent of cognitive ability. We identified 157 genome-wide significant loci and a polygenic architecture accounting for 57% of genetic variance in EA. Non-cognitive genetics were as strongly related to socioeconomic success and longevity as genetic variants associated with cognitive performance. Noncognitive genetics were further related to openness to experience and other personality traits, less risky behavior, and increased risk for psychiatric disorders. Non-cognitive genetics were enriched in the same brain tissues and cell types as cognitive performance, but showed different associations with gray-matter brain volumes. By conducting a GWAS of a phenotype that was not directly measured, we offer a first view of genetic architecture of non-cognitive skills influencing educational success.

Keywords: education; noncognitive skills; genetics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E24 I14 I24 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 44 pages
Date: 2020-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe, nep-edu, nep-hea and nep-neu
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Published - published in: Nature Genetics, 2021, 53, 35 - 44

Downloads: (external link)
https://docs.iza.org/dp13206.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Investigating the Genetic Architecture of Non-Cognitive Skills Using GWAS-by-Subtraction (2020)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:iza:izadps:dp13206

Ordering information: This working paper can be ordered from
IZA, Margard Ody, P.O. Box 7240, D-53072 Bonn, Germany

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) IZA, P.O. Box 7240, D-53072 Bonn, Germany. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Holger Hinte ().