Mathematics is differentially related to reading comprehension and word decoding: Evidence from a genetically-sensitive design.

Harlaar, N.; Kovas, Yulia; Dale, P S; Petrill, S.A.; Plomin, R. and UNSPECIFIED. 2012. Mathematics is differentially related to reading comprehension and word decoding: Evidence from a genetically-sensitive design. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(3), pp. 622-635. ISSN 0022-0663 [Article]

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Abstract or Description

Although evidence suggests that individual differences in reading and mathematics skills are correlated, this relationship has typically only been studied in relation to word decoding or global measures of reading. It is unclear whether mathematics is differentially related to word decoding and reading comprehension. The current study examined these relationships at both a phenotypic and etiological level in a population-based cohort of 5162 twin pairs at age 12. Multivariate genetic analyses of latent phenotypic factors of mathematics, word decoding and reading comprehension revealed substantial genetic and shared environmental correlations among all three domains. However, the phenotypic and genetic correlations between mathematics and reading comprehension were significantly greater than between mathematics and word decoding. Independent of mathematics, there was also evidence for genetic and nonshared environmental links between word decoding and reading comprehension. These findings indicate that word decoding and reading comprehension have partly distinct relationships with mathematics in the middle school years.

Item Type:

Article

Identification Number (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1037/a0027646

Departments, Centres and Research Units:

Psychology

Dates:

DateEvent
1 August 2012Published

Item ID:

20712

Date Deposited:

25 Aug 2017 15:33

Last Modified:

29 Apr 2020 16:28

Peer Reviewed:

Yes, this version has been peer-reviewed.

URI:

https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/20712

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