Behavioral genetic studies of social inequalities

Abstract

Individual differences in psychological traits are an important source for social inequalities in manifold ways. Explaining the development of social inequalities over the life course, requires not only to take into account social mechanisms but also genetic differences between individuals as well as the covariation and interaction of both types of influences and psychological processes mediating between the two. In this symposium social inequalities are examined from different perspectives: Riemann’s et al. contribution will provide an introduction to the symposium. Spinath et al. will focus on a series of studies on individual differences in skill formation and educational attainment. Johnson and colleagues contribute a sophisticated analysis of social mobility, and finally Kandler et al. analyze attitudes towards social inequality, which might be an important predictor of how societies deal with social inequalities.