The contribution of genes and the environment to educational and socioeconomic attainments in Australia

Journal article


Marks, Gary. (2017). The contribution of genes and the environment to educational and socioeconomic attainments in Australia. Twin Research and Human Genetics. 20(4), pp. 281 - 289. https://doi.org/10.1017/thg.2017.32
AuthorsMarks, Gary
Abstract

This article analyzes the contribution of genetics and the environment to educational attainment, occupational status, and income using data from over 1,100 monozygotic and 400 dizygotic Australian twin pairs aged from 18 to 99. The respective heritability estimates were 0.54, 0.37, and 0.18. The bivariate heritabilities were 0.71 for educational attainment and occupational status, 0.37 for education and income, and 0.61 for occupational status and income. There were no gender and cohort differences in the heritabilities for education and occupation, but for income, contrary to expectations, the heritabilities were significantly higher among women and for the older cohort (aged 50 or older). The sizable contribution of genes to these socioeconomic outcomes suggests that standard sociological and economic theories on the socioeconomic career require substantial modification to accommodate the role of genetics.

Keywordsgenetic and environmental contributions; Cholesky; educational attainment; occupational status; income
Year2017
JournalTwin Research and Human Genetics
Journal citation20 (4), pp. 281 - 289
PublisherCambridge University Press
ISSN1832-4274
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1017/thg.2017.32
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85020741266
Open accessOpen access
Page range281 - 289
Publisher's version
Place of publicationUnited Kingdom
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/899w0/the-contribution-of-genes-and-the-environment-to-educational-and-socioeconomic-attainments-in-australia

  • 81
    total views
  • 101
    total downloads
  • 1
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

Accounting for language background differences in the Australian national assessments – literacy and numeracy
Marks, Gary and Phillips, Bruce. (2020). Accounting for language background differences in the Australian national assessments – literacy and numeracy. Australian Journal of Social Issues. 55(3), pp. 302-322. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.108
Family income effects on mathematics achievement : Their relative magnitude and causal pathways
Marks, Gary and Pokropek, Artur. (2019). Family income effects on mathematics achievement : Their relative magnitude and causal pathways. Oxford Review of Education. 45(6), pp. 769-785. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2019.1620717
How important are socioeconomic background and other factors to the university career vis-à-vis prior student performance : Evidence from Australian longitudinal data
Marks, Gary N.. (2019). How important are socioeconomic background and other factors to the university career vis-à-vis prior student performance : Evidence from Australian longitudinal data. Educational Research and Evaluation. 25(7-8), pp. 357-380.
Is adjusting for prior achievement sufficient for school effectiveness studies?
Marks, Gary N.. (2018). Is adjusting for prior achievement sufficient for school effectiveness studies? Educational Research and Evaluation: an international journal on theory and practice. 23(5-6), pp. 148-162. https://doi.org/10.1080/13803611.2017.1455287
Do the labour market returns to university degrees differ between high and low achieving youth? Evidence from Australia
Marks, Gary. (2018). Do the labour market returns to university degrees differ between high and low achieving youth? Evidence from Australia. Journal for Labour Market Research. 52(1), pp. 1 - 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12651-018-0241-0
The impact of school SES on student achievement: Evidence from U.S. statewide achievement data
Armor, David J., Marks, Gary and Malatinszky, Aron. (2018). The impact of school SES on student achievement: Evidence from U.S. statewide achievement data. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis: a quarterly publication of the American Educational Research Association. 40(4), pp. 613 - 630. https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373718787917
Malleability in educational effectiveness : What are realistic expectations about effect sizes? Introduction to the special issue
Scheerens, Jaap and Marks, Gary N.. (2017). Malleability in educational effectiveness : What are realistic expectations about effect sizes? Introduction to the special issue. Educational Research and Evaluation: an international journal on theory and practice. 23(5-6), pp. 143-147. https://doi.org/10.1080/13803611.2017.1455280
Students in Australian Catholic and independent schools have more positive learning environments: Evidence from the 2012 PISA study
Marks, Gary. (2017). Students in Australian Catholic and independent schools have more positive learning environments: Evidence from the 2012 PISA study. Journal of School Choice. 11(3), pp. 426 - 441. https://doi.org/10.1080/15582159.2017.1301176
University and vocational education, and youth labour market outcomes in Australia
Marks, Gary. (2017). University and vocational education, and youth labour market outcomes in Australia. Journal of Education and Work. 30(8), pp. 868 - 880. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2017.1366648
Family income has only weak effects on cognitive scores in Australia: A comment on Khanam and Nghiem
Marks, Gary. (2017). Family income has only weak effects on cognitive scores in Australia: A comment on Khanam and Nghiem. Demography. 54(2), pp. 801 - 807. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-017-0557-3
Explaining the substantial inter-domain and over-time correlations in student achievement: The importance of stable student attributes
Marks, Gary Neil. (2016). Explaining the substantial inter-domain and over-time correlations in student achievement: The importance of stable student attributes. Educational Research and Evaluation. 22(1-2), pp. 45 - 64. https://doi.org/10.1080/13803611.2016.1191359
The relative effects of socio-economic, demographic, non-cognitive and cognitive influences on student achievement in Australia
Marks, Gary Neil. (2016). The relative effects of socio-economic, demographic, non-cognitive and cognitive influences on student achievement in Australia. Learning and Individual Differences. 49, pp. 1 - 10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2016.05.012
The declining influence of family background on educational attainment in Australia : The role of measured and unmeasured influences
Marks, Gary and Mooi-Reci, Irma. (2016). The declining influence of family background on educational attainment in Australia : The role of measured and unmeasured influences. Social Science Research. 55, pp. 171 - 185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2015.10.002
School sector differences in student achievement in Australian primary and secondary schools: A longitudinal analysis
Marks, Gary. (2015). School sector differences in student achievement in Australian primary and secondary schools: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of School Choice. 9(2), pp. 219 - 238. https://doi.org/10.1080/15582159.2015.1028827
Do Catholic and Independent schools add-value to students tertiary entrance performance? Evidence from longitudinal population data
Marks, Gary Neil. (2015). Do Catholic and Independent schools add-value to students tertiary entrance performance? Evidence from longitudinal population data. Australian Journal of Education. 59(2), pp. 133 - 157. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004944115586658
The size, stability, and consistency of school effects: Evidence from Victoria
Marks, Gary. (2015). The size, stability, and consistency of school effects: Evidence from Victoria. School Effectiveness and School Improvement. 26(3), pp. 397 - 414. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2014.964264
Are school-SES effects statistical artefacts? Evidence from longitudinal population data
Marks, Gary. (2015). Are school-SES effects statistical artefacts? Evidence from longitudinal population data. Oxford Review of Education. 41(1), pp. 122 - 144. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2015.1006613
Education, social background and cognitive ability: The decline of the social
Marks, Gary Neil. (2014). Education, social background and cognitive ability: The decline of the social Routledge.
Demographic and socioeconomic inequalities in student achievement over the school career
Marks, Gary. (2014). Demographic and socioeconomic inequalities in student achievement over the school career. Australian Journal of Education. 58(3), pp. 223 - 247. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004944114537052
Reaching Year 12 in Victoria, Australia: Student and school influences
Marks, Gary. (2014). Reaching Year 12 in Victoria, Australia: Student and school influences. Educational Research and Evaluation. 20(5), pp. 333 - 347. https://doi.org/10.1080/13803611.2014.964262
Reproduction of economic inequalities : Are the figures for the United States and United Kingdom too high?
Marks, Gary. (2013). Reproduction of economic inequalities : Are the figures for the United States and United Kingdom too high? Comparative Social Research. 30, pp. 341 - 363. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0195-6310(2013)0000030016
Evaluating effectively maintained inequality : School and post-school transitions, socioeconomic background, academic ability and curricular placement
Marks, Gary. (2013). Evaluating effectively maintained inequality : School and post-school transitions, socioeconomic background, academic ability and curricular placement. Social Science Research. 42(6), pp. 1635 - 1649. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2013.07.004
Issues in the Conceptualisation and Measurement of Socioeconomic Background: Do Different Measures Generate Different Conclusions?
Marks, Gary Neil. (2011). Issues in the Conceptualisation and Measurement of Socioeconomic Background: Do Different Measures Generate Different Conclusions? Social Indicators Research. 104(2), pp. 225 - 251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-010-9741-1