A behavior genetic analysis of the tendency for youth to associate according to GPA

J. C. Barnes; Kevin M. Beaver; Jacob Young; Michael TenEyck

doi:10.1016/j.socnet.2014.01.001

A behavior genetic analysis of the tendency for youth to associate according to GPA

J. C. Barnes, Kevin M. Beaver, Jacob Young, Michael TenEyck

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

Behavior genetic research has revealed that many "environmental" variables are partially influenced by genetic factors. Known as gene-environment correlation (rGE), this line of scholarship provides insight on how and why individuals select into certain environments. Juxtaposing this body of evidence with research on peer group homophily-the tendency for peers to resemble one another on certain traits such as academic ability-raised two research hypotheses: (1) youth will associate with peers who receive grades similar to themselves (i.e., homophily for GPA); and (2) a portion of the variance in peer group GPA (i.e., the peer network average GPA) will be explained by individuals' genetic self-selection into the peer group (rGE). The results supported both hypotheses by showing a strong predictive relationship between the target individual's GPA and that of his/her peers and by revealing that 72% of the variance in peer group GPA was explained by genetic influences.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	41-49
Number of pages	9
Journal	Social Networks
Volume	38
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2014.01.001
State	Published - Jul 2014

Keywords

Active gene-environment correlation (rGE)
Behavior genetic
Homophily
Peer network GPA

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Anthropology
Sociology and Political Science
General Social Sciences
General Psychology

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10.1016/j.socnet.2014.01.001

Cite this

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title = "A behavior genetic analysis of the tendency for youth to associate according to GPA",

abstract = "Behavior genetic research has revealed that many {"}environmental{"} variables are partially influenced by genetic factors. Known as gene-environment correlation (rGE), this line of scholarship provides insight on how and why individuals select into certain environments. Juxtaposing this body of evidence with research on peer group homophily-the tendency for peers to resemble one another on certain traits such as academic ability-raised two research hypotheses: (1) youth will associate with peers who receive grades similar to themselves (i.e., homophily for GPA); and (2) a portion of the variance in peer group GPA (i.e., the peer network average GPA) will be explained by individuals' genetic self-selection into the peer group (rGE). The results supported both hypotheses by showing a strong predictive relationship between the target individual's GPA and that of his/her peers and by revealing that 72% of the variance in peer group GPA was explained by genetic influences.",

keywords = "Active gene-environment correlation (rGE), Behavior genetic, Homophily, Peer network GPA",

author = "Barnes, {J. C.} and Beaver, {Kevin M.} and Jacob Young and Michael TenEyck",

note = "Funding Information: This research uses data from Add Health, a program project directed by Kathleen Mullan Harris and designed by J. Richard Udry, Peter S. Bearman, and Kathleen Mullan Harris at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and funded by grant P01-HD31921 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development , with cooperative funding from 23 other federal agencies and foundations. Special acknowledgment is due Ronald R. Rindfuss and Barbara Entwisle for assistance in the original design. Information on how to obtain the Add Health data files is available on the Add Health website ( http://www.cpc.unc.edu/addhealth ). No direct support was received from grant P01-HD31921 for this analysis.",

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language = "English (US)",

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PY - 2014/7

Y1 - 2014/7

N2 - Behavior genetic research has revealed that many "environmental" variables are partially influenced by genetic factors. Known as gene-environment correlation (rGE), this line of scholarship provides insight on how and why individuals select into certain environments. Juxtaposing this body of evidence with research on peer group homophily-the tendency for peers to resemble one another on certain traits such as academic ability-raised two research hypotheses: (1) youth will associate with peers who receive grades similar to themselves (i.e., homophily for GPA); and (2) a portion of the variance in peer group GPA (i.e., the peer network average GPA) will be explained by individuals' genetic self-selection into the peer group (rGE). The results supported both hypotheses by showing a strong predictive relationship between the target individual's GPA and that of his/her peers and by revealing that 72% of the variance in peer group GPA was explained by genetic influences.

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A behavior genetic analysis of the tendency for youth to associate according to GPA

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