Genetic and environmental influences on pupil performances

Twin Research ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 183-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siv Fischbein ◽  
Ruth Guttman ◽  
Michael Nathan
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Performance Measures ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Genetic Influences ◽  
Educational Setting ◽  
Time Points ◽  
A Current ◽  
Israeli Kibbutz

AbstractThe results presented in this paper are part of a current comparative study of genetic and environmental influences in three educational settings: Stockholm, Jerusalem and the Israeli kibbutz. We specifically wanted to investigate whether a more restrictive educational setting would decrease genetic influences. Here we report on comparisons of cognitive performance measures at several time points for twins/controls, boys/girls and within-pair similarity in MZ, DZ and controls. The tests used were the Raven Progressive Matrices, verbal, reading comprehension and arithmetic. The results show no differences between twins and controls, whilst gender differences seem to be smallest in the Stockholm sample and largest in Jerusalem. A pattern of genetic influences on cognitive performance was also clearly visible in Jerusalem. In Stockholm shared environmental influences at home and at school seemed even stronger than in the kibbutz. No consistent differences were found between tests or occasions.

scholarly journals The Heritability of Cognitive Aging: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Twin Studies

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 1026-1026
Author(s):  
Alice Kim ◽  
Alyssa Kam ◽  
Maxwell Kofman ◽  
Christopher Beam
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Genetic Influences ◽  
Environmental Variance ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Adult Twins

Abstract Heritability of cognitive ability changes across late adulthood, although whether genetic variance increases or decreases in importance is not understood well. We performed a systematic review of the heritability of cognitive ability derived from longitudinal twin studies of middle-aged and older adult twins. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, articles were identified in APA PsycINFO and Clarivate Web of Science electronic databases. Identified articles were screened by title and abstract; remaining full-text articles were then fully evaluated. Reference sections served as an additional method for identification of relevant articles. In total, 3,106 articles were identified and screened, 28 of which were included and were based on data from 10 longitudinal twin studies published from 1994-2021. There are large genetic influences on an initial level of cognitive performance across domains whereas there are small to moderate genetic influences on change in performance with age. Evidence was less definitive about whether the same or different genetic factors contribute to both level and change. Non-shared environmental influences appeared to drive individual changes in cognitive performance. Heritability tended to either be stable or decline after 65 years, possibly because of the increasing importance of non-shared environmental influences on cognitive ability. Recent studies report increases in heritability across specific subtests and domains. Shared environmental variance accounted for little variance in cognitive ability. Emerging research questions and future directions for understanding genetic and environment influences in the context of gene-environment interplay are highlighted in this review.

Developing Adaptive Change Capabilities Through Client-Centred Therapy

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 258-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry Bowles
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Therapeutic Alliance ◽  
Adaptive Change ◽  
The State ◽  
Residual Effects ◽  
Clinical Group ◽  
Therapeutic Experience ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Insight Into

Clients undergo change as a function of engaging in a therapeutic experience. To date, little research into the residual effects of therapy have been completed using client-centred therapy. Some therapies provide didactic experiences to gain and practise skills and understandings so they can be recalled after the conclusion of therapy. Other therapies preclude such interventions and instead emphasise the insights of the client and the transformative therapeutic alliance to facilitate change. This research is an investigation of the possibility that client-centred therapy provides clients with experiences to allow insight into, and understanding of processes to optimally facilitate change through therapy. The aims of the research were to establish: whether factors known to enhance change in therapy increased for clients from the beginning to the end of therapy; whether the clinical group (n = 28; intervention) scores differed from a nonclinical group at both time points (n = 22; control); and establish whether gender differences were present. Analyses showed that nonclinical respondents’ scores at Times 1 and 2 were consistently higher on all factors compared with clinical respondents. The findings indicated that scores did not vary significantly between Time 1 and 2 for either the clinical or the nonclinical groups of respondents. The state/trait-like characteristics of the factors are discussed in reference to their application in therapeutic and applied settings.

scholarly journals WHY DO PEOPLE DIFFER IN THEIR ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION? A NUCLEAR TWIN FAMILY STUDY

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lea Klassen ◽  
Eike F. Eifler ◽  
Anke Hufer ◽  
Rainer Riemann
Keyword(s):  
Achievement Motivation ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Genetic Influences ◽  
Parental Home ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Home And School

Although many previous studies have emphasized the role of environmental factors, such as parental home and school environment, on achievement motivation, classical twin studies suggest that both additive genetic influences and non-shared environmental influences explain interindividual differences in achievement motivation. By applying a Nuclear Twin Family Design on the data of the German nationally representative of TwinLife study, we analyzed genetic and environmental influences on achievement motivation in adolescents and young adults. As expected, the results provided evidence for the impact of additive genetic variation, non-additive genetic influences, as well as twin specific shared environmental influences. The largest amount of variance was attributed to non-shared environmental influences, showing the importance of individual experiences in forming differences in achievement motivation. Overall, we suggest a revision of models and theories that explain variation in achievement motivation by differences in familial socialization only.

scholarly journals B-52 Improvements in Cognitive Functioning in Inactive Professional Fighters

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 998-998
Author(s):  
L Bennett ◽  
C Bernick ◽  
W Ng
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract Objective Repetitive head injuries common in combat sports have been associated with increased risk for cognitive dysfunction. Interestingly, the Professional Fighter’s Brain Health Study (PFBHS) team has observed improvements in fighters’ cognitive performance following their transition to inactive fighting status. As this phenomenon was explored, it was hypothesized that fighters’ cognitive performance will initially improve following their discontinuation of fighting. Methods Longitudinal demographic, fighting history, and cognitive functioning data from 31 fighters who discontinued fighting during their participation in the PFBHS. Cognitive functioning was assessed via CNS Vital Signs and C3/iComet computerized batteries. Number of professional fights, as well as inactive fighting status, was determined using published professional online records. Fighters were considered inactive if they had gone two or more years without a professional match. Results Paired-samples t test was conducted to evaluate cognitive functioning in fighters at time 1 (actively fighting) and time 2 (inactive fighting status). When comparing cognitive function at across time points, performance on CNS Vital Signs measures of verbal memory, processing speed, psychomotor speed, and reaction time, as well as C3/iComet measures of set-shifting and complex reaction time, significantly improved at time 2 (all p’s < 0.05). Interestingly, performance did not improve across time points on a C3/iComet measure of processing speed (Trailmaking Test Part A). Conclusions Cognitive performance improved on most measures when fighters transitioned to inactive fighting status. Given the limited sample size, future analysis is necessary to evaluate the relationship between fighting status and cognitive performance in a larger sample size.

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