ICES Experimental Economics Brown Bag Lecture
Estimating the Heritability of Economic Traits with Molecular Genetic Data
Thursday, April 27, 2023 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Vernon Smith Hall (formerly Metropolitan Building), Room 5075
The Interdisciplinary Center for Economic Science (ICES) presents an ICES Brown Bag Lecture featuring:
George Mason University
Estimating the Heritability of Economic Traits with Molecular Genetic Data
Abstract
The extent to which genetics contributes to economic outcomes has been a subject of considerable study in the field of economics (e.g. Taubman (1976), Cesarini (2009)). Past research has relied mainly on pedigree methods, such as twin and adoption studies, to estimate heritability. However, these methods rely on potentially biasing assumptions, and the recent availability of molecular genetic data has allowed for alternative approaches. In this study, we use the UK Biobank, which includes molecular genetic data on over 22,000 pairs of siblings, to estimate heritability for several economically relevant traits. Our heritability estimation method uses molecular genetic data to compute the genetic similarity of siblings, and then compares that similarity to their phenotypic similarity, and yields unbiased estimate of heritability that are free from environmental confounding.
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