The reverse math-to-motivation genetic pathway is not moderated by SES, supporting a directional motivation-to-achievement relation¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r3 · q3
Currency · newest study 2011 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? In the refit Cholesky model with math as predictor and motivation as outcome, SES moderated genetic influences on math but did not moderate the math-to-motivation relation, consistent with motivation driving achievement rather than the reverse. → Tucker-Drob 2011

Evidence¶

Tucker-Drob 2011¶

Tucker-Drob, Elliot M., & Harden, K. Paige. (2011). Learning Motivation Mediates Gene-by-Socioeconomic Status Interaction on Mathematics Achievement in Early Childhood. Learning and Individual Differences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2011.11.015

q3 · i? · associational · r3

Follow-up validity check refitting the bivariate Cholesky model with motivation as outcome and mathematics as predictor in the same ECLS-B twin sample; the ab′ parameter for math → motivation was not significant in this direction.

"In addition, SES positively moderated the genetic influences on math but did not moderate the math → motivation relation. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that it is the directional relation from motivation to math, rather than a reverse pathway from math achievement to increase motivation that is positively moderated by SES."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Motivation — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
• Socioeconomic Status — moderator: an instructional effect differs by group

Related Claims¶

• Genes account for negligible variance in four-year-olds' math scores at very low SES but over 40% at very high SES — related
• Genetic differences in learning motivation are more strongly predictive of math achievement among four-year-olds in higher-SES homes — related
• Genetic variance in learning motivation fully mediates the gene-by-SES interaction on four-year-olds' math achievement — related
• SES does not moderate genetic, shared, or nonshared environmental variance in four-year-olds' learning motivation — related
• SES accounts for a modest 9% of variance in learning motivation but a larger 28% of variance in math achievement among four-year-olds — related