阅读能力的个体差异来源是行为遗传学的研究焦点之一。文章通过对80个阅读双生子研究的元分析发现:(1)遗传对阅读及其加工过程、基本认知技能具有中等强度影响;(2)不同阅读加工成分既受到共同遗传因素的作用,又同时受到特异遗传因素的影响。(3)阅读与一般认知能力、数学能力在遗传上存在中等强度相关。这些结果表明了双生子研究对探索阅读的遗传机制具有分子遗传学所不可替代的价值,文章还提出了如提升行为表型的测查质量等对未来研究的具体建议。
The origin of individual differences in reading ability is one of the most popular questions studied in the field of behavioral genetics. Here we used a meta-analysis on eighty empirical twin studies in reading ability to examine its genetic basis. Three new and fundamental findings have been observed. First, genetic factors have a moderate influence on general reading ability, reading-related processes (e.g., word recognition, spelling, and reading comprehension), and pre-reading cognitive skills (e.g., phonological processing, orthographic coding, rapid naming, and print knowledge). Second, components of the reading process are modulated by both general and specific genetic factors. Finally, the genetic overlap between reading ability and general cognitive ability and the genetic overlap between reading ability and mathematic ability are also moderate. Taken together, our meta-analysis indicates that twin studies play a critical role in exploring the genetic basis of individual differences in reading ability, complementary to studies based on rapidly growing molecular genetics.