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The Fourth Law of Behavior Genetics

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  • Chabris, C. F.
  • Lee, J. J.
  • Cesarini, D.
  • Benjamin, D. J.
  • Laibson, David I.
Abstract
Behavior genetics is the study of the relationship between genetic variation and psychological traits. Turkheimer (2000) proposed “Three Laws of Behavior Genetics†based on empirical regularities observed in studies of twins and other kinships. On the basis of molecular studies that have measured DNA variation directly, we propose a Fourth Law of Behavior Genetics: “A typical human behavioral trait is associated with very many genetic variants, each of which accounts for a very small percentage of the behavioral variability.†This law explains several consistent patterns in the results of gene-discovery studies, including the failure of candidate-gene studies to robustly replicate, the need for genome-wide association studies (and why such studies have a much stronger replication record), and the crucial importance of extremely large samples in these endeavors. We review the evidence in favor of the Fourth Law and discuss its implications for the design and interpretation of gene-behavior research.

Suggested Citation

  • Chabris, C. F. & Lee, J. J. & Cesarini, D. & Benjamin, D. J. & Laibson, David I., 2015. "The Fourth Law of Behavior Genetics," Scholarly Articles 30780203, Harvard University Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hrv:faseco:30780203
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Xu, Yilan & Briley, Daniel A. & Brown, Jeffrey R. & Roberts, Brent W., 2017. "Genetic and environmental influences on household financial distress," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 404-424.
    2. Pietro Biroli & Titus Galama & Stephanie von Hinke & Hans van Kippersluis & Cornelius Rietveld & Kevin Thom, 2022. "The Economics and Econometrics of Gene-Environment Interplay," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 22-019/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    3. Thomas Buser & Rafael Ahlskog & Magnus Johannesson & Sven Oskarsson, 2022. "Occupational sorting on genes," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 22-062/I, Tinbergen Institute, revised 29 Mar 2023.
    4. Brian B. Boutwell & Eric J. Connolly, 2017. "On the Heritability of Criminal Justice Processing," SAGE Open, , vol. 7(3), pages 21582440177, July.
    5. Hans Kippersluis & Pietro Biroli & Rita Dias Pereira & Titus J. Galama & Stephanie Hinke & S. Fleur W. Meddens & Dilnoza Muslimova & Eric A. W. Slob & Ronald Vlaming & Cornelius A. Rietveld, 2023. "Overcoming attenuation bias in regressions using polygenic indices," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    6. Nagel, Mats, 2020. "Changing perspectives: Towards detailed phenotyping in genetics," Thesis Commons a4nz2, Center for Open Science.
    7. Krammer, Sorin M.S. & Gören, Erkan, 2021. "Wired in? Genetic traits and entrepreneurship around the world," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    8. Guo, Fangqi & Harris, Kathleen Mullan & Boardman, Jason D. & Robinette, Jennifer W., 2022. "Does crime trigger genetic risk for type 2 diabetes in young adults? A G x E interaction study using national data," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).
    9. Hyeokmoon Kweon & Casper A.P. Burik & Richard Karlsson Linner & Ronald de Vlaming & Aysu Okbay & Daphne Martschenko & Kathryn Paige Harden & Thomas A. DiPrete & Philipp D. Koellinger, 2020. "Genetic Fortune: Winning or Losing Education, Income, and Health," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 20-053/V, Tinbergen Institute, revised 01 Dec 2020.
    10. Lee, James J. & McGue, Matt & Iacono, William G. & Michael, Andrew M. & Chabris, Christopher F., 2019. "The causal influence of brain size on human intelligence: Evidence from within-family phenotypic associations and GWAS modeling," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 48-58.
    11. Gören, Erkan, 2017. "The persistent effects of novelty-seeking traits on comparative economic development," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 112-126.
    12. Dixon, Padraig & Hollingworth, William & Harrison, Sean & Davies, Neil M. & Davey Smith, George, 2020. "Mendelian Randomization analysis of the causal effect of adiposity on hospital costs," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    13. Rita Dias Pereira & Pietro Biroli & Titus Galama & Stephanie von Hinke & Hans van Kippersluis & Cornelius A. Rietveld & Kevin Thom, 2022. "Gene-Environment Interplay in the Social Sciences," Papers 2203.02198, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2022.
    14. Cornelius A. Rietveld & Eric A.W. Slob & A. Roy Thurik, 2021. "A decade of research on the genetics of entrepreneurship: a review and view ahead," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 1303-1317, October.
    15. Domingue, Benjamin & Trejo, Sam & Armstrong-Carter, Emma & Tucker-Drob, Elliot M., 2020. "Interactions between polygenic scores and environments: Methodological and conceptual challenges," SocArXiv u7sh4, Center for Open Science.
    16. Thomas Buser & Rafael Ahlskog & Magnus Johannesson & Philipp Koellinger & Sven Oskarsson, 2021. "Using Genes to Explore the Effects of Cognitive and Non-cognitive Skills on Education and Labor Market Outcomes," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 21-088/I, Tinbergen Institute, revised 29 Mar 2023.
    17. Dilnoza Muslimova & Hans van Kippersluis & Cornelius A. Rietveld & Stephanie von Hinke & S. Fleur W. Meddens, 2020. "Nature-nurture interplay in educational attainment," Papers 2012.05021, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2023.
    18. Dilnoza Muslimova & Hans van Kippersluis & Cornelius A. Rietveld & Stephanie von Hinke & S. Fleur W. Meddens, 2020. "Dynamic complementarity in skill production: Evidence from genetic endowments and birth order," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 20-082/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    19. Graciela Kuechle, 2019. "The contribution of behavior genetics to entrepreneurship: An evolutionary perspective," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 29(4), pages 1263-1284, September.
    20. C. Dannemann & Erkan Goeren, 2018. "The Educational Burden of ADHD: Evidence From Student Achievement Test Scores," Working Papers V-408-18, University of Oldenburg, Department of Economics, revised Apr 2018.
    21. Cobb-Clark, Deborah A., 2016. "Biology and Gender in the Labor Market," IZA Discussion Papers 10386, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    22. Kettlewell, Nathan & Tymula, Agnieszka & Yoo, Hong Il, 2023. "The Heritability of Economic Preferences," IZA Discussion Papers 16633, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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