SES heritability varies by measure

Updated: 2025.05.14 8M ago 1 sources
Heritability and shared‑environment contributions differ across core socioeconomic indicators — education, occupational prestige, income, and wealth — and those differences depend on sampling and method (family‑based vs unrelated‑genotype). Large, registry‑linked cohorts with multiple methods reveal common genetic/shared‑environmental influences across SES measures but little commonality in nonshared environment. — If SES genetics depends on which SES measure and which method you use, policymakers and researchers must avoid one‑size‑fits‑all claims about 'the genetics of inequality' and instead tailor causal inference and policy to the specific outcome (education vs wealth) and context.

Sources

The genetic and environmental composition of socioeconomic status in Norway | Nature Communications
2025.05.14 100% relevant
The paper uses Norway’s administrative registries (n>170,000, ages 35–45) and four family‑ and genotype‑based heritability methods to show education and occupational prestige have larger genetic components while family shared environment matters more for wealth; it emphasizes cross‑outcome commonality among genetic and shared environmental factors.
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