The Influences of Alleles and Environment on Education

Some of the most interesting research combines approaches from different fields of study to explain certain phenomena.  In July, a study relating academic achievement to genetics was published in the Developmental Psychology Journal from the American Psychological Association.  Researchers at Florida State University were trying to see if certain genes would influence whether or not a student would graduate from high school and attend college.  The researchers studied the DAT1, DRD2, and DRD4 genes.  The DAT1 gene encodes a protein that acts as a dopamine neurotransmitter.  The DRD2 and the DRD4 genes encode proteins that acts as dopamine receptors.  Dopamine is an important chemical found in the brain that may have an effect on certain behaviors such as motivation, sleep, violence, and cognitive ability.  Improper dopamine levels may cause the development of certain conditions such as ADHD.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="504" caption="Dopamine attaching to receptors."][/caption]

This study used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health).  In 1995, Add Health began studying youths in middle school or high school through early adulthood (the study ended in 2008).  The participants’ DAT1, DRD2, and DRD4 genes were analyzed.  Each participant contained different alleles of the genes being studied.  An allele is the alternative form of the same gene.  The researchers found that test subjects with certain alleles obtained the highest levels of education.  However, having certain alleles does not guarantee graduation from college.  The environment (ie. financial status and prevalence of crime) plays a major factor in determining the level of education.

As a college student, it was interesting to learn that certain alleles may influence academic achievement.  Although there is not a gene for “getting good grades,” certain key aspects of learning such as motivation and attention are clearly controlled by the genes that regulate the levels of dopamine in the brain.  To benefit future students, more studies should be completed to learn about other genes that may affect learning and levels of academic achievement.