Social and Behavioral Genomics: On the Ethics of the Research and Its Downstream Applications

Social and behavioral scientists increasingly work with geneticists or adapt the methods of genetic research to investigate genomic variation in a wide variety of behavioral and social phenotypes. Using genome-wide association studies, these social and behavioral genomics (SBG) researchers generate polygenic indexes (PGIs)—weighted sums of the estimated effects of each genetic variant on an individual's phenotype. This review examines the ethical, conceptual, and social issues in SBG research and its downstream applications. In particular, it focuses on PGIs for ethically sensitive SBG phenotypes—those that (a) can be viewed as consequential to social status (e.g., obesity and substance-use disorders), (b) are contributing or have historically contributed to harmful stereotypes about minoritized groups and threaten to reify the biologization of social identities (e.g., financial prowess and athleticism), and/or (c) are central to a minoritized group's identity (e.g., sexual orientation and sexual behavior).