Fabricating Facts in Behavior Genetics
On February 20, 2025, the Human Biology program co-sponsored a seminar given by Dr. Emily Merchant in the series hosted by the Program in Science, Technology, and Society. A historian of science and technology in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, Merchant critically examined the historical development, scientific validity, and socio-political implications of the genetic concept of heritability and its use–and misuse–in studying intelligence and educational attainment.
The event, titled Fabricating Facts in Behavior Genetics, offered roughly thirty attendees insights into the complex interactions between scientific research and societal factors in genetics, behavior, and human traits.
Heritability, which she defined as a statistical estimate of how much variation in a trait within a population can be attributed to genetic differences between individuals versus other factors, such as the environment, has a long history tied to eugenics, racism, and inequality in the United States.
Merchant’s talk was divided into four main parts: inventing heritability, measuring heritability, selling heritability, and building on heritability. Throughout the presentation, she explained how behavior genetics, a subfield of psychology, became a form of ‘factory’ for calculating heritability and applying it to various personality traits and behaviors such as intelligence. She illustrated this with examples such as Thomas Bouchard’s Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart, which found that identical twins raised separately were about as similar as twins raised together in their personality traits, interests, and intelligence levels. Using this as evidence, Bouchard argued that genetics significantly shape one’s traits and cognitive abilities. Merchant, however, highlighted the flaws in this research and the limitations of heritability studies as a whole because they fail to account for similarities or differences in environmental and social influences.
Merchant also discussed how behavioral geneticists have historically positioned themselves as a part of “counter-establishment” science, often challenging mainstream social sciences with their work. This stance allowed them to garner attention and funding, but Merchant explained that it also led to criticisms and concerns that they were promoting biological determinism and reinforcing social and racial inequalities.
The seminar concluded with a lively Q&A session, where attendees engaged Merchant on the topics presented.
The concept of heritability remains highly relevant today, as debates over genetic influences on intelligence, educational achievement, and other desirable traits continue to shape social discourse and public policy in the education and healthcare spheres. Projects like the Human Genome Project influence public perception of genetics and the relationship between genes and human traits.
Merchant’s seminar offered a thought-provoking examination of how concepts like heritability evolve and can be shaped by–and in turn shape–political and social practices. The event underscored the importance of critically examining the historical, ideological, and social contexts of research, especially in areas that intersect with complex issues of race, inequality, and public policy.