Generalist Genes hypothesis
The Generalist Genes hypothesis of learning abilities and disabilities was originally coined in an article by Plomin & Kovas.
The Generalist Genes hypothesis suggests that most genes associated with common learning disabilities and abilities are generalist in three ways.
- Firstly, the same genes that influence common learning abilities are also responsible for common learning disabilities : they are strongly genetically correlated.
- Secondly, many of the genes associated with one aspect of a learning disability also influence other aspects of this learning disability.
- Thirdly, genes that influence one learning disability are largely the same as those that influence other learning disabilities.