Confounding fuels misinterpretation in human genetics.
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| Title: | Confounding fuels misinterpretation in human genetics. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Benning, John W.1,2 (AUTHOR) arbel.arbel@gmail.com, Carlson, Jedidiah3,4,5 (AUTHOR) ah3586@columbia.edu, Smith, Olivia S.3,4 (AUTHOR) arbel.harpak@austin.utexas.edu, Shaw, Ruth G.6 (AUTHOR) arbelarbel@gmail.com, Harpak, Arbel3,4 (AUTHOR) arbelharpak@utexas.edu |
| Source: | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 11/1/2025, Vol. 292 Issue 2058, p1-12. 12p. |
| Subjects: | Human genetics, Behavior genetics, Interpretation (Philosophy), Biological fitness, Statistical bias, Socioeconomic factors, Heredity, Causation (Philosophy) |
| Abstract: | The scientific literature has seen a resurgence of interest in genetic influences on human behaviour and socioeconomic outcomes. Such studies face the central difficulty of distinguishing possible causal influences, in particular genetic and non-genetic ones. When confounding between possible influences is not rigorously addressed, it invites over- and misinterpretation of data. We illustrate the breadth of this problem through a discussion of the literature and a reanalysis of two examples. The first paper we discuss suggested that patterns of similarity in social status between relatives indicate that social status is largely determined by one's DNA. Our reanalysis shows that the paper's conclusions are based on the conflation of genetic and non-genetic transmission (for example, of wealth) within families. The second paper we discuss posited that genetic variants underlying bisexual behaviour are maintained in the population because they also affect risk-taking behaviour and thereby confer an evolutionary fitness advantage through increased sexual promiscuity. In this case, too, our reanalysis shows that, though possible explanations cannot be distinguished, only one is chosen and presented as a conclusion. We discuss how issues of confounding apply more broadly to studies that claim to establish genetic underpinnings to human behaviour and societal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences is the property of Royal Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 189090344 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Confounding fuels misinterpretation in human genetics. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Benning%2C+John+W%2E%22">Benning, John W.</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> arbel.arbel@gmail.com</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Carlson%2C+Jedidiah%22">Carlson, Jedidiah</searchLink><relatesTo>3,4,5</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> ah3586@columbia.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Smith%2C+Olivia+S%2E%22">Smith, Olivia S.</searchLink><relatesTo>3,4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> arbel.harpak@austin.utexas.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shaw%2C+Ruth+G%2E%22">Shaw, Ruth G.</searchLink><relatesTo>6</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> arbelarbel@gmail.com</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Harpak%2C+Arbel%22">Harpak, Arbel</searchLink><relatesTo>3,4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> arbelharpak@utexas.edu</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Proceedings+of+the+Royal+Society+B%3A+Biological+Sciences%22">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</searchLink>. 11/1/2025, Vol. 292 Issue 2058, p1-12. 12p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Human+genetics%22">Human genetics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Behavior+genetics%22">Behavior genetics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interpretation+%28Philosophy%29%22">Interpretation (Philosophy)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biological+fitness%22">Biological fitness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistical+bias%22">Statistical bias</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Socioeconomic+factors%22">Socioeconomic factors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Heredity%22">Heredity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Causation+%28Philosophy%29%22">Causation (Philosophy)</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: The scientific literature has seen a resurgence of interest in genetic influences on human behaviour and socioeconomic outcomes. Such studies face the central difficulty of distinguishing possible causal influences, in particular genetic and non-genetic ones. When confounding between possible influences is not rigorously addressed, it invites over- and misinterpretation of data. We illustrate the breadth of this problem through a discussion of the literature and a reanalysis of two examples. The first paper we discuss suggested that patterns of similarity in social status between relatives indicate that social status is largely determined by one's DNA. Our reanalysis shows that the paper's conclusions are based on the conflation of genetic and non-genetic transmission (for example, of wealth) within families. The second paper we discuss posited that genetic variants underlying bisexual behaviour are maintained in the population because they also affect risk-taking behaviour and thereby confer an evolutionary fitness advantage through increased sexual promiscuity. In this case, too, our reanalysis shows that, though possible explanations cannot be distinguished, only one is chosen and presented as a conclusion. We discuss how issues of confounding apply more broadly to studies that claim to establish genetic underpinnings to human behaviour and societal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences is the property of Royal Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1098/rspb.2025.1615 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 12 StartPage: 1 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Human genetics Type: general – SubjectFull: Behavior genetics Type: general – SubjectFull: Interpretation (Philosophy) Type: general – SubjectFull: Biological fitness Type: general – SubjectFull: Statistical bias Type: general – SubjectFull: Socioeconomic factors Type: general – SubjectFull: Heredity Type: general – SubjectFull: Causation (Philosophy) Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Confounding fuels misinterpretation in human genetics. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Benning, John W. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Carlson, Jedidiah – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Smith, Olivia S. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Shaw, Ruth G. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Harpak, Arbel IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 11 Text: 11/1/2025 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 09628452 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 292 – Type: issue Value: 2058 Titles: – TitleFull: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences Type: main |
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