Kevenaar Sofieke T, Dolan Conor V, Boomsma Dorret I, van Bergen Elsje
Department of Biological Psychology Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands.
Research Institute LEARN! Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands.
JCPP Adv. 2023 Apr 26;3(2):e12159. doi: 10.1002/jcv2.12159. eCollection 2023 Jun.
By combining the classical twin design with regression analysis, we investigated the role of two non-cognitive factors, self-control and grit, in the prediction of school performance. We did so at the phenotypic, genetic, and environmental level.
Teachers filled out a survey on the twins' school performance (school grades for reading, literacy, and math), self-control (ASEBA self-control scale), and grit (the perseverance aspect) for 4891 Dutch 12-years-old twin pairs (3837 pairs with data for both and 1054 pairs with data for one of the twins). We employed regression analyses to first assess the contributions of self-control and grit to school performance at the phenotypic level, and next at the genetic and environmental level, while correcting for rater (teacher) effects, parental SES, and sex.
Higher SES was associated with better school performance, self-control, and grit. On average, girls had more self-control and grit than boys. Corrected for sex, SES, and teacher rater effects, genetic factors accounted for 74%, 69%, and 58% of the phenotypic variance of school performance, self-control, and grit, respectively. Phenotypically, self-control and grit explained 28.3% of the variance in school performance. We found that this phenotypic result largely reflected genetic influences.
Children who have better self-control and are grittier tend to do better in school. Individual differences in these three traits are not correlated because of shared environmental influences, but mainly because of shared genetic factors.
通过将经典双胞胎设计与回归分析相结合，我们研究了自我控制和毅力这两个非认知因素在预测学业成绩中的作用。我们在表型、遗传和环境层面进行了此项研究。
教师针对4891对荷兰12岁双胞胎（其中3837对双胞胎有双方数据，1054对双胞胎只有一方数据）填写了一份关于双胞胎学业成绩（阅读、读写能力和数学学科成绩）、自我控制（Achenbach儿童行为量表自我控制量表）和毅力（毅力方面）的调查问卷。我们采用回归分析首先评估自我控制和毅力在表型层面、其次在遗传和环境层面上对学业成绩的贡献，同时校正评分者（教师）效应、父母社会经济地位和性别因素。
较高的社会经济地位与更好的学业成绩、自我控制和毅力相关。平均而言，女孩比男孩有更强的自我控制能力和毅力。校正性别、社会经济地位和教师评分者效应后，遗传因素分别占学业成绩、自我控制和毅力表型变异的74%、69%和58%。在表型上，自我控制和毅力解释了学业成绩变异的28.3%。我们发现这一表型结果在很大程度上反映了遗传影响。
自我控制能力更强且更有毅力的孩子在学校往往表现更好。这三个特质的个体差异并非由于共同的环境影响而相关，而是主要由于共同的遗传因素。
