It's all in the DNA, according to new research. Genes prompt rabble-rouser behavior. But they also foster popularity, according to Alexandra Burt, a Michigan State University behavioral geneticist who released a groundbreaking study that suggests good news for bad boys. Men who had a gene associated with rule-breaking behavior were rated most popular by a group of previously unacquainted peers, she found. "The idea is that your genes predispose you to certain behaviors, and those behaviors elicit different kinds of social reactions from others," said Ms. Burt. "And so, what's happening is, your genes are to some extent driving your social experiences." Other researchers have bandied about the idea of a genetic predisposition for popularity, a theory known as "evocative gene-environment correlation." The new research is the first to establish clear connections between a specific gene, particular behaviors and actual social situations, Ms. Burt said. She collected DNA from more than 200 male college students; after some socializing and a student survey, the subsequent analysis found that the most popular had a particular form of a serotonin gene associated with rule-breaking behavior. Her findings were published by the American Psychological Association. Is there a party gene? Some say it's the serotonin transporter gene, already identified by the National Institutes of Health as the gene behind binge drinking. In August 2008, the University of North Carolina also revealed a link between three particular genes and "a life of crime" after following 1,100 teenage boys over a six-year period, clearly establishing a link between the presence of those genes and aggressive behavior.
Related:
Serotonin Gene Makes Some More Popular?
No comments:
Post a Comment