Actually there is a tremendous amount of research on the importance of genetics (particularly twin and adoption studies). My quick summary here is going to be overly simplistic, but at a very high level, so long as a child wasn&#x27;t raised in an abusive environment, genetics are much more important in predicting things like intelligence and future earnings than a family&#x27;s characteristics are. That conclusion is not merely anecdote. It&#x27;s one of the most extensively studied questions in parenting research.