Good Behavior, Religiousness May Be Genetic
Study of Twins Shows that Altruistic
Behavior not Strictly Environmental
Minneapolis – April 05, 2007 - A
new study in Journal of Personality shows that selfless and social
behavior is not purely a product of environment, specifically religious
environment. After studying the behavior of adult twins, researchers found that,
while altruistic behavior and religiousness tended to appear together, the
correlation was due to both environmental and genetic factors.
According to study author Laura Koenig, the popular idea that religious individuals are more social and giving because of the behavioral mandates set for them is incorrect. “This study shows that religiousness occurs with these behaviors also because there are genes that predispose them to it.”
“There is, of course, no specific gene for religiousness, but individuals do have biological predispositions to behave in certain ways,” says Koenig. “The use of twins in the current study allowed for an investigation of the genetic and environmental influences on this type of behavior.”
This research is another example of the way that genes have an impact on behavior. “Society as a whole assumes that home environments have large impacts on behavior, but studies in behavior genetics are repeatedly showing that our behavior is also influenced by our genes,” says Koenig.
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This study is published in Journal of Personality. Media wishing to
receive a PDF of this article may contact journalnews@bos.blackwellpublishing.net.
Laura Koenig, M.A., is an advanced graduate student at the University of
Minnesota in the area of personality, behavior genetics and individual
differences, and has been the lead researcher on several projects involving
heritability and development of religiousness. She can be reached for questions
at koen0099@umn.edu.
Journal of Personality publishes scientific investigations in the field of personality. It focuses particularly on personality and behavior dynamics, personality development, and individual differences in the cognitive, affective, and interpersonal domains. For more information, please visit www.blackwellpublishing.com/jopy.
Blackwell Publishing is the world's leading society publisher, partnering with 665 medical, academic, and professional societies. Blackwell publishes over 800 journals and has over 6,000 books in print. The company employs over 1,000 staff members in offices in the US, UK, Australia, China, Singapore, Denmark, Germany, and Japan and officially merged with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.'s Scientific, Technical, and Medical business in February 2007. Blackwell's mission as an expert publisher is to create long-term partnerships with our clients that enhance learning, disseminate research, and improve the quality of professional practice. For more information on Blackwell Publishing, please visit www.blackwellpublishing.com or www.blackwell-synergy.com.
Contact:
Sean Wagner
781-388-8550
journalnews@bos.blackwellpublishing.net