Developing SENSES: Student experience of non-shared environment scales.

Sundus Yerdelen,Tracy Durksen,Kaili Rimfeld,Kathryn Asbury,Robert Plomin

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0202543

Sundus Yerdelen, Tracy Durksen + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0202543

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Abstract

Twin and adoption studies find that non-shared environmental (NSE) factors account for variance in most behavioural traits and offer an explanation for why genetically identical individuals differ. Using data from a qualitative hypothesis-generating study we designed a quantitative measure of pupils’ non-shared experiences at the end of formal compulsory education (SENSES: Student Experiences of Non-Shared Environment Scales). In Study 1 SENSES was administered to n = 117 16–19 year old twin pairs. Exploratory Factor Analysis yielded a 49-item 10 factor solution which explained 63% of the variance in responses. SENSES showed good internal consistency and convergent and divergent validity. In Study 2 this factor structure was confirmed with data from n = 926 twin pairs and external validity was demonstrated via significant correlations between 9 SENSES factors and both public examination performance and life satisfaction. These studies lend preliminary support to SENSES but further research is required to confirm its psychometric properties; to assess whether individual differences in SENSES are explained by NSE effects; and to explore whether SENSES explains variance in achievement and wellbeing.

Highlights

It has long been established by twin and adoption studies that non-shared environmental (NSE) effects explain variance in most behavioural and psychological traits, after the preschool years e.g. [1, 2, 3]
Twin and adoption studies find that non-shared environmental (NSE) factors account for variance in most behavioural traits and offer an explanation for why genetically identical individuals differ
In Study 2 this factor structure was confirmed with data from n = 926 twin pairs and external validity was demonstrated via significant correlations between 9 SENSES factors and both public examination performance and life satisfaction

Summary

Introduction

It has long been established by twin and adoption studies that non-shared environmental (NSE) effects explain variance in most behavioural and psychological traits, after the preschool years e.g. [1, 2, 3]. NSE effects are those that make siblings brought up together differ from each other. They are uncorrelated with genetic effects and, for this reason, represent potentially interesting targets for intervention. It has proved almost as difficult to identify the specific experiences that can explain NSE variance as it has been to identify the specific genes that explain genetic variance [4]. We have both a ‘missing heritability’ and a ‘missing environments’ problem [5,6]. The current study was motivated by a need to identify measured environments that can explain variance attributable to NSE in educationally relevant behaviour, such as achievement and wellbeing, with a view to possible intervention

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