Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40633062›Full record

ArticlePsychological science2025

Polygenic Associations With Educational Attainment in East Versus West Germany: Differences Emerge After Reunification.

Deniz Fraemke, Yayouk E Willems, Aysu Okbay, Ulman Lindenberger, Sabine Zinn, Gert Wagner, David Richter, Kathryn P Harden, Elliot M Tucker-Drob, Ralph Hertwig and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Psychological science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Deniz FraemkeMax Planck Research Group Biosocial - Biology, Social Disparities, and Development, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0009-0007-3446-9367
Yayouk E WillemsMax Planck Research Group Biosocial - Biology, Social Disparities, and Development, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-5747-0164
Aysu OkbaySchool of Business and Economics, Tinbergen Institute, Amsterdam.ORCID 0000-0002-5170-7781
Ulman LindenbergerGerman Socio-Economic Panel Study Department.ORCID 0000-0001-8428-6453
Sabine ZinnGerman Socio-Economic Panel Study Department.
Gert WagnerSchool of Business and Economics, Tinbergen Institute, Amsterdam.ORCID 0000-0002-5985-4073
David RichterDepartment of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität zu Berlin.ORCID 0000-0003-2811-8652
Kathryn P HardenDepartment of Psychology, The University of Texas, US.ORCID 0000-0002-1557-6737
Elliot M Tucker-DrobDepartment of Psychology, The University of Texas, US.ORCID 0000-0001-5599-6237
Ralph HertwigSchool of Business and Economics, Tinbergen Institute, Amsterdam.ORCID 0000-0002-9908-9556
Philipp KoellingerSchool of Business and Economics, Tinbergen Institute, Amsterdam.ORCID 0000-0001-7413-0412
Laurel RaffingtonMax Planck Research Group Biosocial - Biology, Social Disparities, and Development, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-0144-5605

Funding

Program Development and Pilot CoreP30AG066614 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · PI KAREN L FINGERMAN · 2020 to 2026
$5.2M
Scientific & Technical CoreP2CHD042849 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · PI MARK D. HAYWARD · 2017 to 2026
$5.2M
Dissecting the Multivariate Genetic Architecture of Psychiatric DiseasesR01MH120219 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · PI NIVARD, MICHEL GUILLAUME, TUCKER-DROB, ELLIOT MAX · 2020 to 2024
$3.3M
Cortisol, Socioeconomic Status, and Genetic Influences on Cognitive DevelopmentR01HD083613 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · PI TUCKER-DROB, ELLIOT MAX · 2016 to 2020
$3.0M
Environmental, Genetic, and Epigenetic Mechanisms for Hormonal ChangeR01HD092548 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · PI HARDEN, KATHRYN PAIGE · 2019 to 2023
$3.0M
Large-Scale Genomic Analysis of Aging-Related Cognitive Change Prior to Dementia OnsetRF1AG073593 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · PI TUCKER-DROB, ELLIOT MAX · 2021 to 2021
$2.1M
NIA NIH HHS P30 AG066614NIA NIH HHS RF1 AG073593NICHD NIH HHS P2C HD042849NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD083613NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD092548NIH HHS P30AG066614NIH HHS R01HD083613NIH HHS R01HD092548NIH HHS R01MH120219NIH HHS RF1AG073593NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH120219
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Using a DNA-based polygenic index, we explored geographical and historical differences in polygenic associations with educational attainment in East and West Germany around the time of reunification. This index was derived from a prior genome-wide association study on educational attainment in democratic countries. In 1,930 individuals aged 25 to 85 years from the SOEP-G[ene] cohort, the magnitude of polygenic associations with educational attainment did not differ between East and West Germany before reunification but increased in East Germany thereafter. This gene-environment interaction remained robust when we probed for variance dispersion. A control analysis using a polygenic index of height suggests that this interaction is unlikely to reflect a general trend toward greater genetic associations in East Germany after reunification. The observed amplification of education-genetic associations aligns with theories suggesting heightened genetic influences on educational attainment during periods of greater social and educational opportunity. We emphasize the need for replication in larger German genetic data sets.

Indexed as

Educational StatusGene-Environment InteractionMultifactorial InheritanceAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleGenome-Wide Association StudyGermanyGermany, EastGermany, WestHumansMaleMiddle Agededucationgene–environment interactiongeneticsGerman reunificationpolygenic index

Identifiers

PMID40633062
PMCPMC13043040

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.