Genetic and environmental influences on the stability of political attitudes

Stig Hebbelstrup Rye Rasmussen; Aaron Weinschenk; Aleksander Ksiazkiewicz; Jacob von Bornemann Hjelmborg; Asbjørn Sonne Nørgaard; Robert Klemmensen

doi:10.1016/j.paid.2024.112777

Genetic and environmental influences on the stability of political attitudes

Stig Hebbelstrup Rye Rasmussen, Aaron Weinschenk^*, Aleksander Ksiazkiewicz, Jacob von Bornemann Hjelmborg, Asbjørn Sonne Nørgaard, Robert Klemmensen

^*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Institut for Statskundskab

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avis › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

Abstract

It has been established across several contexts that political attitudes are informed by heritable factors. However, it remains unclear how much of the stability we observe in political attitudes can be ascribed to environmental factors and how much of the stability is due to genetics. In this paper we show, using a unique three-wave panel dataset of twins (N = 2471) spanning ten years, that both environmental and genetic influences are important in explaining the stability of social and economic ideology. However, we find that changes in ideology over time are explained by environmental factors for both social and economic ideology. For social ideology, only the shared environment is important in explaining changes over time. For economic ideology, both shared and unique environmental factors influence changes over time. Our results suggest that stability and change in political attitudes is a complex phenomenon that is best understood when examining heritable as well as social factors.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Artikelnummer	112777
Tidsskrift	Personality and Individual Differences
Vol/bind	229
ISSN	0191-8869
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2024.112777
Status	Udgivet - okt. 2024

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title = "Genetic and environmental influences on the stability of political attitudes",

abstract = "It has been established across several contexts that political attitudes are informed by heritable factors. However, it remains unclear how much of the stability we observe in political attitudes can be ascribed to environmental factors and how much of the stability is due to genetics. In this paper we show, using a unique three-wave panel dataset of twins (N = 2471) spanning ten years, that both environmental and genetic influences are important in explaining the stability of social and economic ideology. However, we find that changes in ideology over time are explained by environmental factors for both social and economic ideology. For social ideology, only the shared environment is important in explaining changes over time. For economic ideology, both shared and unique environmental factors influence changes over time. Our results suggest that stability and change in political attitudes is a complex phenomenon that is best understood when examining heritable as well as social factors.",

keywords = "Heritability, Ideology, Latent growth model, Political orientations, Twin model",

author = "Rasmussen, \{Stig Hebbelstrup Rye\} and Aaron Weinschenk and Aleksander Ksiazkiewicz and \{von Bornemann Hjelmborg\}, Jacob and N{\o}rgaard, \{Asbj{\o}rn Sonne\} and Robert Klemmensen",

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doi = "10.1016/j.paid.2024.112777",

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journal = "Personality and Individual Differences",

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T1 - Genetic and environmental influences on the stability of political attitudes

AU - Rasmussen, Stig Hebbelstrup Rye

AU - Weinschenk, Aaron

AU - Ksiazkiewicz, Aleksander

AU - von Bornemann Hjelmborg, Jacob

AU - Nørgaard, Asbjørn Sonne

AU - Klemmensen, Robert

PY - 2024/10

Y1 - 2024/10

N2 - It has been established across several contexts that political attitudes are informed by heritable factors. However, it remains unclear how much of the stability we observe in political attitudes can be ascribed to environmental factors and how much of the stability is due to genetics. In this paper we show, using a unique three-wave panel dataset of twins (N = 2471) spanning ten years, that both environmental and genetic influences are important in explaining the stability of social and economic ideology. However, we find that changes in ideology over time are explained by environmental factors for both social and economic ideology. For social ideology, only the shared environment is important in explaining changes over time. For economic ideology, both shared and unique environmental factors influence changes over time. Our results suggest that stability and change in political attitudes is a complex phenomenon that is best understood when examining heritable as well as social factors.

AB - It has been established across several contexts that political attitudes are informed by heritable factors. However, it remains unclear how much of the stability we observe in political attitudes can be ascribed to environmental factors and how much of the stability is due to genetics. In this paper we show, using a unique three-wave panel dataset of twins (N = 2471) spanning ten years, that both environmental and genetic influences are important in explaining the stability of social and economic ideology. However, we find that changes in ideology over time are explained by environmental factors for both social and economic ideology. For social ideology, only the shared environment is important in explaining changes over time. For economic ideology, both shared and unique environmental factors influence changes over time. Our results suggest that stability and change in political attitudes is a complex phenomenon that is best understood when examining heritable as well as social factors.

KW - Heritability

KW - Ideology

KW - Latent growth model

KW - Political orientations

KW - Twin model

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85197487483

U2 - 10.1016/j.paid.2024.112777

DO - 10.1016/j.paid.2024.112777

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85197487483

SN - 0191-8869

VL - 229

JO - Personality and Individual Differences

JF - Personality and Individual Differences

M1 - 112777

ER -

Genetic and environmental influences on the stability of political attitudes

Abstract

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