In this paper we used a twin design to show that performance on online cognitive tasks is genetically identical to performance on cognitive tasks administered in highly controlled laboratory settings, suggesting that at-home online cognitive tasks are valid.
(Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 2024)
In this review, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of twin/family and genome-wide association study approaches with respect to characterizing genetic and environmental influences, measurement of behavioral phenotypes, and evaluation of causal models, with a particular focus on cognitive neuroscience. This discussion highlights how twin/family studies and GWAS complement and mutually reinforce one another.
In two twin studies, we examined the overlap of three executive function (EF) latent variables (a Common EF factor predicting response inhibition, working memory updating, and mental set-shifting tasks and Updating- and Shifting-Specific factors) with five impulsivity dimensions (negative and positive urgency, lack of premeditation and perseverance, and sensation seeking). Results suggest that EFs and self-reported impulsivity tap different aspects of control that are both relevant for psychopathology.
In this study, we characterized the genetic/environmental commonality and heterogeneity of impulsivity facets and tested the hypothesis that goal-management is central to their common variance. Results suggest that impulsivity facets show considerable heterogeneity in addition to common variation related to goal-management abilities.
This study examined whether executive functions (EFs) might be common features of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems across development. Results suggest that EFs are associated with stable problem behavior variation, explain small proportions of covariance, and are a risk factor that that may depend on gender.
