Generalist Genes Hypothesis

Updated on Dec 10, 2023

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The Generalist Genes Hypothesis of learning abilities and disabilities was conceived by Professor Robert Plomin, one of the 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century. The term was originally coined in an article by Plomin & Kovas (2005), published in Psychological Bulletin, one of the leading psychology journals (according to Web of Science’s Journal Citation Reports).

The Generalist Genes Hypothesis suggests that most genes associated with common learning disabilities and abilities are generalist in three ways.

Firstly, the same genes that influence common learning abilities (e.g., high reading aptitude) are also responsible for common learning disabilities (e.g., reading disability): they are strongly genetically correlated.

Secondly, many of the genes associated with one aspect of a learning disability (e.g., vocabulary problems) also influence other aspects of this learning disability (e.g., grammar problems).

Thirdly, genes that influence one learning disability (e.g., reading disability) are largely the same as those that influence other learning disabilities (e.g., mathematics disability).

The Generalist Genes Hypothesis has important implications for education, cognitive sciences and molecular genetics.

References

Generalist Genes Hypothesis Wikipedia

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