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PMID: 7487839 Published · ppublish English Comparative Study Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. Twin Study

Heritability of cognitive abilities in adult twins: comparison of Minnesota and Swedish data.

Behavior genetics ·Vol. 25 ·No. 5 ·1995-09-00 ·Pages 421-31

Finkel D, Pedersen NL, McGue M, McClearn GE

Abstract

Cross-sectional reports suggest heritability of cognitive ability increases throughout adulthood. To investigate this hypothesis, quantitative genetic analyses were conducted on four measures of cognitive ability (verbal, spatial, perceptual speed, memory). Data from Minnesota and Swedish twin studies of aging were compared. Heritability estimates and the factor structure of cognitive abilities could be equated across younger twins (age, 27-50) and middle-aged twins (age, 50-65) from both studies, suggesting stability of heritability during adulthood. The heritability of 81% for a general cognitive factor confirmed earlier findings of high heritability in younger and middle-aged samples. Older Swedish twins (age, 65-85) demonstrated significantly lower heritability estimates for cognitive abilities (54%) and a significantly different factor structure of cognitive ability.

MeSH Terms
Adult Age Factors Aged Cross-Cultural Comparison Humans Intelligence/genetics Middle Aged Minnesota Phenotype Sweden Twins, Dizygotic/genetics,psychology Twins, Monozygotic/genetics,psychology Wechsler Scales
Authors & Affiliations
4 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Finkel D
Division of Social Sciences, Indiana University Southeast, New Albany 47150, USA.
Pedersen N L
McGue M
McClearn G E
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Article Info
Journal
Behavior genetics
Abbr.
Behav Genet
ISSN
0001-8244
DOI
10.1007/BF02253371
Published
1995-09-00
Pages
421-31
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
0251711
Subset
IM
Grants
NIA NIH HHS · AG06543 · United States
NIA NIH HHS · AG06886 · United States
NIA NIH HHS · AG10175 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1007/BF02253371 View journal details
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