GWASs and polygenic scores inherit all the old problems of heritability estimates

Behavioral and Brain Sciences 46:e227 (2023)
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Abstract

Polygenic score (PGS) computations assume an additive model of gene action because associations between phenotypes and alleles at different loci are compounded, ignoring interactions between alleles or loci let alone between genotype and environment. Consequently, PGSs are subject to the same objections that invalidated traditional heritability analyses in the 1970s. Thus, PGSs should not be used in the social sciences.

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10.1017/s0140525x22002321

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Sahotra Sarkar
University of Texas at Austin

Citations of this work

Heritability.Stephen M. Downes & Lucas J. Matthews - 2019 - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Heritability.Stephen M. Downes - 2015 - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

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References found in this work

The analysis of variance and the analysis of causes.Richard C. Lewontin - 1974 - American Journal of Human Genetics 26 (3):400-11.

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