Mathematical ability is genetically inherited, say researchers – RIA Novosti

16:14 02.09.2016

(updated: 23:11 02.09.2016 )

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MOSCOW, September 2 – RIA Novosti Psychologists from the University of Pittsburgh say that “sense of” and general math skills parents determine the extent to which their child will be successful in math class in school, according to the article. published in the journal Developmental Science.

“We believe that the relationship between the mathematical abilities of children and parents is given by a combination of genetic factors and environmental conditions of their environment. We look forward to further research in this area, which pinpoint how much involved in the genes of the parents, and determine the conditions in which children are best develop their math skills “, – said Melissa Libertus (Melissa Libertus) from the University of Pittsburgh ( United States).

in recent years, scientists are actively trying to understand whether many human abilities, including musical talent, inclination towards mathematics and science, writing talent and other distinctive features inherited from the genetic point of view. The psychologists, geneticists and neuroscientists spent tens and hundreds of experiments, the results of which were extremely diverse, leading many scientists to conclude that such “genetic” relationships do not exist.

Libertus and her colleagues have shown that in fact the mathematical abilities are transmitted at the genetic level, at least in part, comparing the results of simple mathematical tests and evaluating the sharpness of the so-called “feelings of” parents and their children, first graders in 50 families living in Pittsburgh.

As shown by these tests, math skills of children and their tendency to solve problems mathematical way was statistically linked to how cope with these tests of their parents – better than mom and dad decided tasks, the faster and better cope with them their sons and daughters.

This pattern does not always work, but it was fair in most cases. According to the researchers, mathematical abilities of children can be predicted based on the results of tests of their parents with a probability of about 46-51%.

All this, as scientists believe, says that mathematical ability is really transmitted from parent to child and that this transfer involves both genetic and social factors. What power have both of them, Libertus and her colleagues plan to find out in subsequent experiments.