People generally believe that they are either good at math or English, but new research indicates that the same genes drive skills in both subjects.
About 50 percent of both math and reading aptitude in people comes from the same part of their genetic makeup, according to a new study that examined gene influence and environmental variables, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Contrary to popular belief, skills in math and reading actually go hand in hand, said Robert Plomin, a psychologist at Kings College London who worked on the study.
"If you found genes for reading," said Plomin, as quoted by the L.A. Times, "you have over a 50 percent chance that those same genes would influence math."
People tend to think they are only skilled in one subject because they are slightly worse at one compared with the other, but aptitude is relative.
"You might think you're a little less good at math, but compared to everybody in the world, you're pretty good at math," Plomin said.
Published in the journal Nature Communications, the study used 1,500 pairs of 12-year-old twins to contrast the influence of genetic makeup and environment.
Plomin sees such research as a way to let people work with their genetic makeup rather than against it.
"We don't want to pit nature vs. nurture," Plomin said. "But for parents who still think kids are a blob of clay that you mold to be what you want them to be, I hope this data--and there's tons of other data like this--will convince people to recognize and respect individual differences that are genetically driven."
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