Generalist Genes Hypothesis
Encyclopedia
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.
The Generalist Genes Hypothesis has important implications for education, cognitive sciences and molecular genetics.
Robert Plomin
Robert Plomin is an American psychologist best known for his work in twin studies and behavior genetics. Plomin has made two of the most important discoveries in that field. First, he has shown the importance of non-shared environment, a term that he coined to refer to the environmental reasons...
, 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
Psychological Bulletin
Psychological Bulletin is a peer-reviewed academic journal specializing in literature reviews. It was founded by Johns Hopkins psychologist James Mark Baldwin in 1904 immediately after he had bought out James McKeen Cattell's share of Psychological Review, which the two had founded ten years...
, one of the leading psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
journals (according to Web of Science
Web of Science
ISI Web of Knowledge is an academic citation indexing and search service, which is combined with web linking and provided by Thomson Reuters. Web of Knowledge coverage encompasses the sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities. It provides bibliographic content and the tools to access, analyze,...
’s Journal Citation Reports
Journal Citation Reports
Journal Citation Reports is an annual publication by the Healthcare & Science division of Thomson Reuters. It has been integrated with the Web of Knowledge, by Thomson Reuters, and is accessed from the Web of Science to JCR Web. It provides information about academic journals in the sciences and...
).
The Generalist Genes Hypothesis suggests that most genes
Gênes
Gênes is the name of a département of the First French Empire in present Italy, named after the city of Genoa. It was formed in 1805, when Napoleon Bonaparte occupied the Republic of Genoa. Its capital was Genoa, and it was divided in the arrondissements of Genoa, Bobbio, Novi Ligure, Tortona and...
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).
- 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.