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Armbruster D, Lesch KP, Strobel A. The long and the short of it: 5-HTTLPR and moral judgement. Behav Brain Res 2023; 452:114524. [PMID: 37269929 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Differences in moral sentiments are widespread. Increasingly, their biological correlates are investigated to elucidate potential sources of divergent moral attitudes and choices. Serotonin is one such potential modulator. We investigated the effects of a functional serotonergic polymorphism, 5-HTTLPR, which was previously linked to moral choices albeit with inconsistent findings. N = 157 healthy young adults completed a set of congruent and incongruent moral dilemmas. In addition to the traditional moral response score, this set allows by using a process dissociation (PD) approach an estimation a deontological and a utilitarian parameter. While there was no main effect of 5-HTTLPR on any of the three moral judgement parameters, there was an interaction effect between 5-HTTLPR and endocrine status on PD parameters, which was mainly due to the deontological but not the utilitarian parameter. In men and free cycling women, LL homozygotes showed reduced deontological tendencies compared to S allele carriers. Contrariwise, in women using oral contraceptives, LL homozygotes had increased deontology parameter scores. Furthermore, LL genotypes in general reported less difficulty in making harmful choices, which were in addition associated with less negative emotions. The findings suggest that 5-HTTLPR might be involved in modulating cognitive and emotional processes contributing to moral decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Armbruster
- Personality Psychology and Assessment, Institute of Psychology, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany.
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany; Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia; Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Alexander Strobel
- Personality and Individual Differences, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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2
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Quan R, Wu Z, Guo W, He L, Fang P, Gong P. The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism impacts victim's moral emotions following interpersonal transgression. Scand J Psychol 2020; 62:7-12. [PMID: 32815193 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Immoral behaviors make individuals abominate and punish transgressors. Inspired by the associations between the Val66Met polymorphism of brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) gene and emotional responses following negative events, we investigated whether this polymorphism was also associated moral emotions such as punishment and forgiveness following interpersonal transgression. To do so, we categorized 340 individuals according to the BDNF Val66Met and assessed moral emotions by using 12 hypothetic scenarios in different conditions of intention and interpersonal consequence. The results indicated that this polymorphism was significantly associated with moral aversion and punishment towards transgressors. Victims with the Val/Val genotype expressed less aversion and punishment than the Met carriers, regardless of intention and interpersonal consequence. Moreover, this polymorphism was associated with forgiveness. Victims with the Val/Val genotype expressed more forgiveness than the Met carriers. Taken together, these findings highlight the importance of the BDNF Val66Met to moral emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Quan
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Zhenzhen Wu
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Wenxuan Guo
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Linlin He
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Pengpeng Fang
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Pingyuan Gong
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China.,College of Medicine, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China.,Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China.,Institute of Population and Health, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
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3
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Martínez RM, Chen CY, Liao TT, Cheng Y, Fan YT, Chou SH, Chen C. The Multifaceted Effects of Serotonin Transporter Polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) on Anxiety, Implicit Moral Attitudes, and Harmful Behaviors. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1521. [PMID: 32754089 PMCID: PMC7366172 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Morality is fundamentally human in nature. Regardless, and even when moral norms seem to work toward the common goal of human cooperation, which morally contentious behaviors are permitted and which are prohibited vary across populations. Because of this occurrence, much scientific debate has revolved around the notion that this phenomenon might be explained by the interaction between genes and environment. Alongside, whether the principles cementing the bases of morality are intuition- or reason-based is another question that has been raised. However, previous research addressing these topics used explicit measures to probe moral attitudes, thus being the participants able to intentionally modify or disguise their honest responses. What's more, while the 5-HTT gene was found to be associated with anxiety, morality, and even cultural structures, a single genotype-phenotype linkage cannot be established without considering the multifaceted effects of the 5-HTT gene on gene-behavior interactions. In order to explore the role of genetics on modeling moral attitudes and behaviors, we genotyped the 5-HTTLPR in 114 healthy volunteers and subsequently assessed their explicit justice sensitivity (Justice Sensitivity Inventory) and moral permissibility judgments, as well as their implicit moral attitudes [moral implicit association task (mIAT)]. Results revealed that 5-HTTLPR short-allele carriers had significantly lower mIAT reaction times when answering correctly and were less compliant on harming another person even when harm or death would inevitably occur anyway to this other individual. With these preliminary results, we can first see how it does not have to be a matter of vouching for a rationalist versus an intuitionist model of moral judgment, but rather being moral judgment an outcome of the different variants of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism affecting the way in which individuals engage contrastingly with moral issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Róger Marcelo Martínez
- Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,School of Psychological Sciences, National Autonomous University of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
| | - Chin-Yau Chen
- Department of Surgery, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan
| | - Tsai-Tsen Liao
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yawei Cheng
- Institute of Neuroscience, Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan.,Department of Education and Research, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yang-Teng Fan
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Han Chou
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chenyi Chen
- Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Research Center of Brain and Consciousness, Shuang-Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
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4
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Palumbo S, Mariotti V, Anastasio T, Rota G, Lucchi L, Manfrinati A, Rumiati R, Lotto L, Sarlo M, Pietrini P, Pellegrini S. A genetic profile of oxytocin receptor improves moral acceptability of outcome-maximizing harm in male insurance brokers. Behav Brain Res 2020; 392:112681. [PMID: 32387223 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, conflicting findings have been reported in the scientific literature about the influence of dopaminergic, serotonergic and oxytocinergic gene variants on moral behavior. Here, we utilized a moral judgment paradigm to test the potential effects on moral choices of three polymorphisms of the Oxytocin receptor (OXTR): rs53576, rs2268498 and rs1042770. We analyzed the influence of each single polymorphism and of genetic profiles obtained by different combinations of their genotypes in a sample of male insurance brokers (n = 129), as compared to control males (n = 109). Insurance brokers resulted significantly more oriented to maximize outcomes than control males, thus they expressed more than controls the utilitarian attitude phenotype. When analyzed individually, none of the selected variants influenced the responses to moral dilemmas. In contrast, a composite genetic profile that potentially increases OXTR activity was associated with higher moral acceptability in brokers. We hypothesize that this genetic profile promotes outcome-maximizing behavior in brokers by focusing their attention on what represents a greater good, that is, saving the highest number of people, even though at the cost of sacrificing one individual. Our data suggest that investigations in a sample that most expresses the phenotype of interest, combined with the analysis of composite genetic profiles rather than individual variants, represent a promising strategy to find out weak genetic influences on complex phenotypes, such as moral behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Palumbo
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Veronica Mariotti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Teresa Anastasio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | | | - Andrea Manfrinati
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Rino Rumiati
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Lorella Lotto
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Michela Sarlo
- Department of General Psychology and Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Silvia Pellegrini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
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5
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Reese M, Bryant D, Ethridge L. Biomarkers for moral cognition: Current status and future prospects for neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 113:88-97. [PMID: 32171842 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The translational neuroscience of moral cognitions draws together developments throughout the fields of neuroscience pertaining to moral cognitions in order to better the human condition. That condition, seen through this lens, is one in which much of the violence and suffering we endure and inflict upon one another is based on moral cognitions-attitudes, beliefs, judgments-that are thought to result from correct or incorrect perceptions of moral properties. The biology tells a different story; namely, that moral cognitions, like other cognitions and mental states, are predicted and determined by biological mechanisms modulated by genotype, neurotransmitter availability and receptor density, neurophysiology, and individual differences among these as well as biology-environment interactions including nutrition, experience, and microbiome. A wealth of research has demonstrated that moral reasoning and judgments are easily alterable with the application of pharmaceuticals including SSRIs, and simpler treatments and conditions like the amount of time since one's last meal. Public health experts have pushed for analysis of violence and development of interventions treating violence as a public health pandemic. We see this research as a response to that call. Work in this field demonstrates that we are unaware of both the sources and nature of the cognitions on which we base much of our violent behaviors, societally and individually. Animal studies bolster the human subjects research, demonstrating the evolutionary roots of the causal mechanisms beneath our social structures and group formations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melody Reese
- Dept of Psychology, University of Oklahoma, United States
| | - Douglas Bryant
- Dept of Psychology, University of Oklahoma, United States
| | - Lauren Ethridge
- Dept of Psychology, University of Oklahoma, United States; Dept of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, United States.
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6
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Yang Y, Wang C, Li X, Yu R, Zhang M, Xue M, Guo W, He L, Gao X, Gong P. The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism impacts moral permissibility of impersonal harmful behaviors. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 14:911-918. [PMID: 31506681 PMCID: PMC6847979 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsz060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Inspired by the roles of serotonin in an emotional aversion to harmful actions, we examined to what extent serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT)–linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR), a proxy for measuring serotonin function, underpinned the individual differences in moral judgment through cross-sectional analysis and two-wave comparison. The cross-sectional analysis with a larger cohort (N = 1197) showed that the SS carriers of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, corresponding to the low ratio of serotonin recycling from the synaptic cleft, rated impersonal harmful actions (e.g. flipping a switch to divert a train to hit one person instead of five people) as more permissible as compared with the L-allele carriers. The two-wave comparison with a subsample from the larger cohort (N = 563) indicated that the association between 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and moral permissibility of impersonal harmful actions was stable from wave 1 to wave 2. Thus, these findings highlight the importance of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism to harmful moral behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafang Yang
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China
| | - Chunlan Wang
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaohan Li
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China
| | - Rongjun Yu
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117570
| | - Mengfei Zhang
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China
| | - Mengying Xue
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China
| | - Wenxuan Guo
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China
| | - Linlin He
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaocai Gao
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China
| | - Pingyuan Gong
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China.,College of Medicine, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China.,Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China.,Institute of Population and Health, Northwest University, 710069 Xi'an, China
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7
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Genetic and environmental contributions to children's prosocial behavior: brief review and new evidence from a reanalysis of experimental twin data. Curr Opin Psychol 2018; 20:60-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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8
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Pellegrini S, Palumbo S, Iofrida C, Melissari E, Rota G, Mariotti V, Anastasio T, Manfrinati A, Rumiati R, Lotto L, Sarlo M, Pietrini P. Genetically-Driven Enhancement of Dopaminergic Transmission Affects Moral Acceptability in Females but Not in Males: A Pilot Study. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:156. [PMID: 28900390 PMCID: PMC5581873 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Moral behavior has been a key topic of debate for philosophy and psychology for a long time. In recent years, thanks to the development of novel methodologies in cognitive sciences, the question of how we make moral choices has expanded to the study of neurobiological correlates that subtend the mental processes involved in moral behavior. For instance, in vivo brain imaging studies have shown that distinct patterns of brain neural activity, associated with emotional response and cognitive processes, are involved in moral judgment. Moreover, while it is well-known that responses to the same moral dilemmas differ across individuals, to what extent this variability may be rooted in genetics still remains to be understood. As dopamine is a key modulator of neural processes underlying executive functions, we questioned whether genetic polymorphisms associated with decision-making and dopaminergic neurotransmission modulation would contribute to the observed variability in moral judgment. To this aim, we genotyped five genetic variants of the dopaminergic pathway [rs1800955 in the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) gene, DRD4 48 bp variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR), solute carrier family 6 member 3 (SLC6A3) 40 bp VNTR, rs4680 in the catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) gene, and rs1800497 in the ankyrin repeat and kinase domain containing 1 (ANKK1) gene] in 200 subjects, who were requested to answer 56 moral dilemmas. As these variants are all located in genes belonging to the dopaminergic pathway, they were combined in multilocus genetic profiles for the association analysis. While no individual variant showed any significant effects on moral dilemma responses, the multilocus genetic profile analysis revealed a significant gender-specific influence on human moral acceptability. Specifically, those genotype combinations that improve dopaminergic signaling selectively increased moral acceptability in females, by making their responses to moral dilemmas more similar to those provided by males. As females usually give more emotionally-based answers and engage the "emotional brain" more than males, our results, though preliminary and therefore in need of replication in independent samples, suggest that this increase in dopamine availability enhances the cognitive and reduces the emotional components of moral decision-making in females, thus favoring a more rationally-driven decision process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Pellegrini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Sara Palumbo
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Care, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | | | - Erika Melissari
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Care, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Rota
- Clinical Psychology Branch, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria PisanaPisa, Italy
| | - Veronica Mariotti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Teresa Anastasio
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Manfrinati
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of OncologyMilan, Italy
| | - Rino Rumiati
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization and Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of PadovaPadova, Italy
| | - Lorella Lotto
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization and Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of PadovaPadova, Italy
| | - Michela Sarlo
- Department of General Psychology and Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of PadovaPadova, Italy
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León Rodríguez DA, Cárdenas F. Aproximación Neurodinámica a la Cognición Social. UNIVERSITAS PSYCHOLOGICA 2017. [DOI: 10.11144/javeriana.upsy15-5.ancs] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
En las últimas décadas ha crecido el estudio los mecanismos involucrados en el comportamiento social, gran parte de estas indagaciones se han realizado desde una aproximación de la neurociencia social cognitiva, la cual se basa en un modelo representacional del procesamiento de información. No obstante, esta aproximación ha sido ampliamente criticada por desconocer la participación del cuerpo, la dinámica afectiva, el contexto social, el cambio durante el desarrollo y suponer un procesamiento modular endógeno. En este sentido, este artículo presenta un modelo neurodinámico de la cognición social, comprendiéndola desde una aproximación enactiva, situada, relacional y sistémica. Desde este modelo se describen los principales cambios en esperados la actividad cerebral durante las interacciones sociales en tiempo real y durante la ontogenia. Se concluye resaltando los desafíos y oportunidades que este tipo de aproximaciones puede proporcionar a la neurociencia y psicología social del futuro.
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10
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The impacts of Val158Met in Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene on moral permissibility and empathic concern. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2016.10.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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11
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Charney E. Genes, behavior, and behavior genetics. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2016; 8. [PMID: 27906529 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Revised: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
According to the 'first law' of behavior genetics, 'All human behavioral traits are heritable.' Accepting the validity of this first law and employing statistical methods, researchers within psychology, sociology, political science, economics, and business claim to have demonstrated that all the behaviors studied by their disciplines are heritable-no matter how culturally specific these behaviors appear to be. Further, in many cases they claim to have identified specific genes that play a role in those behaviors. The validity of behavior genetics as a discipline depends upon the validity of the research methods used to justify such claims. It also depends, foundationally, upon certain key assumptions concerning the relationship between genotype (one's specific DNA sequences) and phenotype (any and all observable traits or characteristics). In this article, I examine-and find serious flaws with-both the methodologies of behavior genetics and the underlying assumptions concerning the genotype-phenotype relationship. WIREs Cogn Sci 2017, 8:e1405. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1405 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Charney
- Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke Center for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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12
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Bernhard RM, Chaponis J, Siburian R, Gallagher P, Ransohoff K, Wikler D, Perlis RH, Greene JD. Variation in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) is associated with differences in moral judgment. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2016; 11:1872-1881. [PMID: 27497314 PMCID: PMC5141955 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Revised: 07/02/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Moral judgments are produced through the coordinated interaction of multiple neural systems, each of which relies on a characteristic set of neurotransmitters. Genes that produce or regulate these neurotransmitters may have distinctive influences on moral judgment. Two studies examined potential genetic influences on moral judgment using dilemmas that reliably elicit competing automatic and controlled responses, generated by dissociable neural systems. Study 1 (N = 228) examined 49 common variants (SNPs) within 10 candidate genes and identified a nominal association between a polymorphism (rs237889) of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and variation in deontological vs utilitarian moral judgment (that is, judgments favoring individual rights vs the greater good). An association was likewise observed for rs1042615 of the arginine vasopressin receptor gene (AVPR1A). Study 2 (N = 322) aimed to replicate these findings using the aforementioned dilemmas as well as a new set of structurally similar medical dilemmas. Study 2 failed to replicate the association with AVPR1A, but replicated the OXTR finding using both the original and new dilemmas. Together, these findings suggest that moral judgment is influenced by variation in the oxytocin receptor gene and, more generally, that single genetic polymorphisms can have a detectable effect on complex decision processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regan M Bernhard
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 02138, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan Chaponis
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetics Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, 02114, Boston MA, USA
| | - Richie Siburian
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetics Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, 02114, Boston MA, USA
| | - Patience Gallagher
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetics Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, 02114, Boston MA, USA
| | | | - Daniel Wikler
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, 02115, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roy H Perlis
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetics Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, 02114, Boston MA, USA.,Center for Experimental Drugs and Diagnostics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 02114, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joshua D Greene
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 02138, Cambridge, MA, USA
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14
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Lucas BJ, Galinsky AD. Is Utilitarianism Risky? How the Same Antecedents and Mechanism Produce Both Utilitarian and Risky Choices. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2015; 10:541-8. [DOI: 10.1177/1745691615583130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Philosophers and psychologists have long been interested in identifying factors that influence moral judgment. In the current analysis, we compare the literatures on moral psychology and decision making under uncertainty to propose that utilitarian choices are driven by the same forces that lead to risky choices. Spanning from neurocognitive to hormonal to interpersonal levels of analysis, we identify six antecedents that increase both utilitarian and risky choices (ventromedial prefrontal cortex brain lesions, psychopathology, testosterone, incidental positive affect, power, and social connection) and one antecedent that reduces these choices (serotonin activity). We identify the regulation of negative affect as a common mechanism through which the effects of each antecedent on utilitarian and risky choices are explained. By demonstrating that the same forces and the same underlying mechanism that produce risky choices also promote utilitarian choices, we offer a deeper understanding of how basic psychological systems underlie moral judgment.
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Abstract
Abstract:Some of the debates around the concept of moral enhancement have focused on whether the improvement of a single trait, such as empathy or intelligence, would be a good in general, or in all circumstances. All virtue theories, however, both secular and religious, have articulated multiple virtues that temper and inform one another in the development of a mature moral character. The project of moral enhancement requires a reengagement with virtue ethics and contemporary moral psychology to develop an empirically grounded model of the virtues and a fuller model of character development. Each of these virtues may be manipulable with electronic, psychopharmaceutical, and genetic interventions. A set of interdependent virtues is proposed, along with some of the research pointing to ways such virtues could be enhanced.
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Iofrida C, Palumbo S, Pellegrini S. Molecular genetics and antisocial behavior: where do we stand? Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2014; 239:1514-23. [PMID: 24764243 DOI: 10.1177/1535370214529508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last two decades, it has become increasingly evident that control of aggressive behavior is modulated by the individual genetic profile as well. Several candidate genes have been proposed to play a role in the risk to develop antisocial behavior, and distinct brain imaging studies have shown that specific cortical areas may be functionally and/or structurally impaired in impulsive violent subjects on the basis of their genotypes. In this paper, we review the findings regarding four polymorphisms-MAOA (Monoamine oxidase A) uVNTR, SLC6A4 (solute carrier family 6 (neurotransmitter transporter), member 4) 5HTTLPR, COMT (Catechol-O-methyltransferase) Val158Met and DRD4 (dopamine D4 receptor) VNTR 1-11-that all have been found to be associated with an increased vulnerability for antisocial and impulsive behavior in response to aversive environmental conditions. These results, however, have not been replicated by other studies, likely because of crucial methodological discrepancies, including variability in the criteria used to define antisocial behavior and assessment of environmental factors. Finally, it has been recently proposed that these genetic variants may actually increase the individual susceptibility not merely to the negative environmental factors, but to the positive ones as well. In this view, such alleles would play a wider modulatory role, by acting as "plasticity" rather than "vulnerability" genes. Overall, these findings have potential important implications that span well outside of neuroscience and psychiatry, to embrace ethics, philosophy, and the law itself, as they pose new challenges to the very notion of Free Will. Novel properly controlled studies that examine multi-allelic genetic profiles, rather than focusing on distinct single variants, will make it possible to achieve a clearer understanding of the molecular underpinnings of the nature by nurture interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Iofrida
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and of Critical Care, University of Pisa, Pisa I-56126, Italy
| | - Sara Palumbo
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and of Critical Care, University of Pisa, Pisa I-56126, Italy
| | - Silvia Pellegrini
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and of Critical Care, University of Pisa, Pisa I-56126, Italy
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Nardi B, Marini A, Turchi C, Arimatea E, Tagliabracci A, Bellantuono C. Role of 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in the development of the inward/outward personality organization: a genetic association study. PLoS One 2013; 8:e82192. [PMID: 24358153 PMCID: PMC3864855 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2013] [Accepted: 10/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Reciprocity with primary caregivers affects subjects' adaptive abilities toward the construction of the most useful personal meaning organization (PMO) with respect to their developmental environment. Within cognitive theory the post-rationalist approach has outlined two basic categories of identity construction and of regulation of cognitive and emotional processes: the Outward and the Inward PMO. The presence of different, consistent clinical patterns in Inward and Outward subjects is paralleled by differences in cerebral activation during emotional tasks on fMRI and by different expression of some polymorphisms in serotonin pathways. Since several lines of evidence support a role for the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in mediating individual susceptibility to environmental emotional stimuli, this study was conducted to investigate its influence in the development of the Inward/Outward PMO. PMO was assessed and the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism investigated in 124 healthy subjects who were subdivided into an Inward (n = 52) and an Outward (n = 72) group. Case-control comparisons of short allele (S) frequencies showed significant differences between Inwards and Outwards (p = 0.036, χ2 test; p = 0.026, exact test). Genotype frequencies were not significantly different although values slightly exceeded p≤0.05 (p = 0.056, χ2 test; p = 0.059, exact test). Analysis of the 5-HTTLPR genotypes according to the recessive inheritance model showed that the S/S genotype increased the likelihood of developing an Outward PMO (p = 0.0178, χ2 test; p = 0.0143, exact test; OR = 3.43, CI (95%) = 1.188–9.925). A logistic regression analysis confirmed the association between short allele and S/S genotypes with the Outward PMO also when gender and age were considered. However none of the differences remained significant after correction for multiple testing, even though using the recessive model they approach significance. Overall our data seem to suggest a putative genetic basis for interindividual differences in PMO development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo Nardi
- Psychiatric Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Alessandra Marini
- Psychiatric Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Chiara Turchi
- Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Emidio Arimatea
- Psychiatric Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Adriano Tagliabracci
- Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Cesario Bellantuono
- Psychiatric Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
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Mrazek AJ, Chiao JY, Blizinsky KD, Lun J, Gelfand MJ. The role of culture-gene coevolution in morality judgment: examining the interplay between tightness-looseness and allelic variation of the serotonin transporter gene. CULTURE AND BRAIN 2013; 1:100-117. [PMID: 24404439 PMCID: PMC3880222 DOI: 10.1007/s40167-013-0009-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This research provides novel insights into the evolutionary basis of cultural norm development and maintenance. We yield evidence for a unique culture-gene coevolutionary model between ecological threat, allelic frequency of the serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR), cultural tightness-looseness-the strength of norms and tolerance for deviance from norms-and moral justifiability. As hypothesized, the results across 21 nations show that: (a) propensity for ecological threat correlates with short (S) allele frequency in the 5-HTTLPR, (b) allelic frequency in the 5-HTTLPR and vulnerability to ecological threat both correlate with cultural tightness-looseness, (c) susceptibility to ecological threat predicts tightness-looseness via the mediation of S allele carriers, and (d) frequency of S allele carriers predicts justifiability of morally relevant behavior via tightness-looseness. This research highlights the importance of studying the interplay between environmental, genetic, and cultural factors underlying contemporary differences in social behavior and presents an empirical framework for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alissa J. Mrazek
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Swift Hall, 2029 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, IL 60208 USA
| | - Joan Y. Chiao
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Swift Hall, 2029 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, IL 60208 USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611 USA
| | - Katherine D. Blizinsky
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611 USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611 USA
| | - Janetta Lun
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Michele J. Gelfand
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
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Yildirim BO, Derksen JJ. Systematic review, structural analysis, and new theoretical perspectives on the role of serotonin and associated genes in the etiology of psychopathy and sociopathy. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2013; 37:1254-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2012] [Revised: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 04/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Stoltenberg SF, Christ CC, Carlo G. Afraid to help: social anxiety partially mediates the association between 5-HTTLPR triallelic genotype and prosocial behavior. Soc Neurosci 2013; 8:400-6. [PMID: 23789884 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2013.807874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that the serotonin system influences prosocial behavior. We examined whether anxiety mediated the association between variation in the serotonin transporter gene regulatory region (5-HTTLPR) and prosocial behavior. We collected self-reported tendencies to avoid certain situations and history of helping others using standard instruments and buccal cells for standard 5-HTTLPR genotyping from 398 undergraduate students. Triallelic 5-HTTLPR genotype was significantly associated with prosocial behavior and the effect was partially mediated by social anxiety, such that those carrying the S' allele reported higher levels of social avoidance and lower rates of helping others. These results are consistent with accounts of the role of serotonin on anxiety and prosocial behavior and suggest that targeted efforts to reduce social anxiety in S' allele carriers may enhance prosocial behavior.
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Lotto L, Manfrinati A, Sarlo M. A New Set of Moral Dilemmas: Norms for Moral Acceptability, Decision Times, and Emotional Salience. JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/bdm.1782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lorella Lotto
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization; University of Padova; Padova Italy
| | - Andrea Manfrinati
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization; University of Padova; Padova Italy
| | - Michela Sarlo
- Department of General Psychology; University of Padova; Padova Italy
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Berryessa CM, Cho MK. Ethical, legal, social, and policy implications of behavioral genetics. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2013; 14:515-34. [PMID: 23452225 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-090711-163743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The field of behavioral genetics has engendered a host of moral and social concerns virtually since its inception. The policy implications of a genetic basis for behaviors are widespread and extend beyond the clinic to the socially important realms of education, criminal justice, childbearing, and child rearing. The development of new techniques and analytic approaches, including whole-genome sequencing, noninvasive prenatal genetic testing, and optogenetics, has clearly changed the study of behavioral genetics. However, the social context of biomedical research has also changed profoundly over the past few decades, and in ways that are especially relevant to behavioral genetics. The ever-widening scope of behavioral genetics raises ethical, legal, social, and policy issues in the potential new applications to criminal justice, education, the military, and reproduction. These issues are especially critical to address because of their potentially disproportionate effects on vulnerable populations such as children, the unborn, and the incarcerated.
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Abstract
Psychiatric disorders such as depression are known to be under a degree of genetic influence, but the specific variants contributing to this heritability remain largely unknown. The serotonin transporter gene has received the most attention in relation to depression, either alone or in conjunction with exposure to stressful life events (i.e. a gene x environment interaction), whereas neuroimaging studies have suggested an association with amygdala activation. There is also some evidence that this gene may predict antidepressant response. However, each of these literatures has followed a similar course of initial promise giving way to an inconsistent pattern of replications and nonreplications. In parallel, whole genome approaches have begun to provide robust findings and novel insights into the mechanisms of common disease. One of these insights is that the genetic architecture of common disease phenotypes such as depression comprises a very large number of common variants of very small effect, possibly together with a smaller number of rare variants of larger effect. This is at odds with the apparently large effect of the serotonin transporter gene reported in some studies. Taken together, it is unlikely that the serotonin transporter gene plays a major role in depression. Future single locus analyses should be informed by more robust findings derived from whole genome methods.
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