Journal Article

Investigating the genetic architecture of noncognitive skills using GWAS-by-subtraction

Mallard, Travis T., Arseneault, Louise, Demange, Perline A., Prinz, Joseph A., Abdellaoui, Abdel, Harden, K. Paige, Domingue, Benjamin W., Williams, Benjamin S., Moffitt, Terrie E., de Zeeuw, Eveline L., Nivard, Michel G., Caspi, Avshalom, Poulton, Richie, Grotzinger, Andrew D., Corcoran, David L., Biroli, Pietro, Malanchini, Margherita, Belsky, Daniel W., Boomsma, Dorret I., Wertz, Jasmin, van Bergen, Elsje, Harris, Kathleen Mullan, Mitchell, Colter, Sugden, Karen, Cox, Simon R., Tucker-Drob, Elliot M., Ip, Hill F.

2021

Overview

Little is known about the genetic architecture of traits affecting educational attainment other than cognitive ability. We used genomic structural equation modeling and prior genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of educational attainment ( n  = 1,131,881) and cognitive test performance ( n  = 257,841) to estimate SNP associations with educational attainment 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 educational attainment. Noncognitive genetics were enriched in the same brain tissues and cell types as cognitive performance, but showed different associations with gray-matter brain volumes. Noncognitive genetics were further distinguished by associations with personality traits, less risky behavior and increased risk for certain psychiatric disorders. For socioeconomic success and longevity, noncognitive and cognitive-performance genetics demonstrated associations of similar magnitude. By conducting a GWAS of a phenotype that was not directly measured, we offer a view of genetic architecture of noncognitive skills influencing educational success. Genomic structural equation modeling of genome-wide association data for educational attainment and cognitive test performance is used to estimate the genetic component of variation in educational attainment that is independent of cognitive ability. The study finds that noncognitive skills account for 57% of genetic variation in educational attainment.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group US,Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: 45 / 45/43 / 631/208 / 631/208/205 / 631/477 / Academic achievement / Agriculture / Animal Genetics and Genomics / Annotations / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedicine / Brain / Brain - diagnostic imaging / Cancer Research / Cognition / Cognition & reasoning / Cognitive ability / Correlation analysis / Decision Making / Education / Educational attainment / Educational Status / Fertility / Gene Function / Genetic aspects / Genetic diversity / Genetic variance / Genetics / Genome-wide association studies / Genome-Wide Association Study / Genomes / Human Genetics / Humans / Hypotheses / Influence / Intelligence / Mental disorders / Mental Disorders - genetics / Models, Genetic / Molecular Sequence Annotation / Multifactorial Inheritance - genetics / Multivariate statistical analysis / Personality / Phenotype / Phenotypes / Polygenic inheritance / Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide - genetics / Risk-Taking / Single-nucleotide polymorphism / Skills / Subtraction / Success / Twins