Genetic Research of Behavior: Recent Trends—A Commentary Toward Ishii (2022)

Abstract

In recent years, research on the relationship between behavior and genes in humans has made great progress. Accumulation in classical behavioral genetics has indicated that any individual difference in behavior has a significant genetic effect. Technical advances in molecular biology have led to the identification of specific candidate genes associated with behavior and the verification of epigenetic effects. Detecting a large number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and calculating the polygenic scores of psychological and behavioral traits at the individual level have become possible. The polygenic score of the educational year is an indirect index of intellectual ability, explains 16% of the variance in educational attainment, and allows scientists to visualize how heredity is associated with socially important traits such as socioeconomic status. In light of these trends, psychology and the human sciences need to overcome their animosity toward heredity and move forward with genetic research.