Full Citation

Title: Deep roots of admixture-related cognitive differences in the USA?

Citation Type: Journal Article

Forthcoming?: Yes

ISBN:

ISSN: 2632-3834

DOI: 10.32388/CCN648.8

NSFID:

PMCID:

PMID:

Abstract: Introduction: There are well-known cognitive ability differences between socially-identified racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Ameliorating these differences is considered a top grand challenge for the American social sciences. However, reducing these achievement gaps requires a better understanding of the nature of these group differences and also of the mechanisms by which these differences are intergenerationally transmitted. As a result, it is necessary to understand how cognitive differences relate to admixture among admixed groups. Recent studies show a linear positive relationship between European ancestry and cognitive ability in admixed African-European-Amerindian descent groups. Objectives: This study attempts to determine if the association between admixture and cognitive ability among African, European, and Amerindian descent groups in the USA holds across a large time period. Methods: First, we use the large and nationally representative Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD) sample to examine the associations between cognitive ability, socially identified-race, genetically-predicted color, and genetic ancestry among Puerto Ricans, and non-Hispanic Whites, Blacks, and American Indians in the 21st century. Second, we use the 1850 to 1930 US censuses to see if we can trace ancestry-associated cognitive differences back to the 19th and early 20th century by taking advantage of early census distinctions by blood and also by using age-heaping based numeracy as a proxy for cognitive ability. Results: In the ABCD sample, we find that European ancestry is positively associated with cognitive ability within race/ethnic groups (_r_s =.05 to.47; _r_weighted-average =.10). In the census data, among African Americans and American Indians but not among Puerto Ricans, we find that greater apparent European admixture is associated with higher numeracy and that this holds when we subset data by age, sex, and literacy-status. Conclusions: In the 19th and early 20th century, European admixture was associated with numeracy among African Americans and Native Americans. To better understand these associations a systematic review of 20th century admixture studies is called for.

Url: https://www.qeios.com/read/CCN648.8

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Fuerst, John; Hu, Meng

Periodical (Full): Qeios

Issue:

Volume:

Pages: 1-32

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Population Data Science, Race and Ethnicity

Countries: