Challenging the utility of polygenic scores for social science: Environmental confounding, downward causation, and unknown biology

The sociogenomics revolution is upon us, we are told. Whether revolutionary or not, sociogenomics is poised to flourish given the ease of incorporating polygenic scores (or PGSs) as “genetic propensities” for complex traits into social science research. Pointing to evidence of ubiquitous heritabilit...

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Veröffentlicht in:	The Behavioral and brain sciences Jg. 46; S. e207
1. Verfasser:	Burt, Callie H.
Format:	Journal Article
Sprache:	Englisch
Veröffentlicht:	New York, USA Cambridge University Press 01.01.2023
Schlagworte:	A. R Anopheles Behavior Behavior genetics Biology Charney, Evan Datasets Educational attainment Environmental effects Ethics Genes Genetic aspects Genetics Genomes Harrison, S Heritability Humans Multifactorial Inheritance - genetics Polygenic inheritance Science Scientists Social research Social science research Social Sciences Sociopolitical factors Target Article New York Netherlands United States United Kingdom California Australia Germany GWAS polygenic scores population stratification statistical genetics sociogenomics human potential gene–environment correlation behavior genetics environmental confounding genetic heterogeneity
ISSN:	0140-525X, 1469-1825, 1469-1825
Online-Zugang:	Volltext
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Zusammenfassung:	The sociogenomics revolution is upon us, we are told. Whether revolutionary or not, sociogenomics is poised to flourish given the ease of incorporating polygenic scores (or PGSs) as “genetic propensities” for complex traits into social science research. Pointing to evidence of ubiquitous heritability and the accessibility of genetic data, scholars have argued that social scientists not only have an opportunity but a duty to add PGSs to social science research. Social science research that ignores genetics is, some proponents argue, at best partial and likely scientifically flawed, misleading, and wasteful. Here, I challenge arguments about the value of genetics for social science and with it the claimed necessity of incorporating PGSs into social science models as measures of genetic influences. In so doing, I discuss the impracticability of distinguishing genetic influences from environmental influences because of non-causal gene–environment correlations, especially population stratification, familial confounding, and downward causation. I explain how environmental effects masquerade as genetic influences in PGSs, which undermines their raison d’être as measures of genetic propensity, especially for complex socially contingent behaviors that are the subject of sociogenomics. Additionally, I draw attention to the partial, unknown biology, while highlighting the persistence of an implicit, unavoidable reductionist genes versus environments approach. Leaving sociopolitical and ethical concerns aside, I argue that the potential scientific rewards of adding PGSs to social science are few and greatly overstated and the scientific costs, which include obscuring structural disadvantages and cultural influences, outweigh these meager benefits for most social science applications.
Bibliographie:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 14 content type line 23
ISSN:	0140-525X 1469-1825 1469-1825
DOI:	10.1017/S0140525X22001145