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Heritability of Verbal and Performance Intelligence in a Pediatric Longitudinal Sample

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

Inge L.C. van Soelen ,
Rachel M. Brouwer ,
Marieke van Leeuwen ,
René S. Kahn ,
Hilleke E. Hulshoff Pol  and
Dorret I. Boomsma
Inge L.C. van Soelen*
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands. [email protected]
Rachel M. Brouwer
Affiliation:
Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Marieke van Leeuwen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosocial Research and Epidemiology, The Netherlands Cancer Insititute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
René S. Kahn
Affiliation:
Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Hilleke E. Hulshoff Pol
Affiliation:
Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Dorret I. Boomsma
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
*
*ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Inge L.C. van Soelen, Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Abstract

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The longitudinal stability of IQ is well-documented as is its increasing heritability with age. In a longitudinal twin study, we addressed the question to what extent heritability and stability differ for full scale (FSIQ), verbal (VIQ), and performance IQ (PIQ) in childhood (age 9–11 years), and early adolescence (age 12–14 years). Genetic and environmental influences and correlations over time were evaluated in an extended twin design, including Dutch twins and their siblings. Intelligence was measured by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children — Third version (WISC III). Heritability in childhood was 34% for FSIQ, 37% for VIQ, and 64% for PIQ, and increased up to 65%, 51%, and 72% in early adolescence. The influence of common environment decreased between childhood and early adolescence from explaining 43% of the phenotypic variance for FSIQ to 18% and from 42% for VIQ to 26%. For PIQ common environmental influences did not play a role, either in childhood or in early adolescence. The stability in FSIQ and VIQ across the 3-year interval (rp) was .72 for both measures and was explained by genetic and common environmental correlations across time (FSIQ, rg = .96, rc = 1.0; VIQ, rg =.78, rc = 1.0). Stability of PIQ (rp =.56) was lower and was explained by genetic influences (rg = .90). These results confirm the robust findings of increased heritability of general cognitive abilities during the transition from childhood to adolescence. Interestingly, results for PIQ differ from those for FSIQ and VIQ, in that no significant contribution of environment shared by siblings from the same family was detected.

Keywords

intelligence quotient (IQ)verbal IQperformance IQchildhoodadolescencelongitudinal modeldevelopment
Type
Articles
Information
Twin Research and Human Genetics , Volume 14 , Issue 2 , 01 April 2011 , pp. 119 - 128
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011