Is Infidelity Genetic? Study suggests brain chemistry plays a role in people's ability to commit
A new study says genes linked to drinking and gambling may be related to unfaithfulness and promiscuity. Justin Garcia, a SUNY doctoral at the State University of New York, and colleagues were studying the biological factors that may lead to the lifestyle of promiscuity and unfaithfulness. The study involved 181 particpants, all of them young adults. They questioned them of their sexual lifestyle and collected their DNA samples. Seventy- seven percent of those involved in the study admitted to a history of sexual relations. Garcia and colleagues believed the results showed that sexual behaviour was affected by genes.
The gene that was analyzed was the DRD4 gene, which is linked to other feel good behaviours. A genetic variation of DRD4 is 7R+. It was seen in their study, that 50% of people with this genetic variation admitted to being unfaithful. This was compared to the 22% of those who admitted to unfaithfulness but did not have the genetic variation. Twenty-three percent of women and twenty- six percent of men had this genetic variation. The findings are found in PloS One Journal.
The results showed that those with the genetic variation of DRD4 had a higher chance of a history of infidelity. However, individuals who did not have this genetic variation did also commit these acts of infideltiy but the study proposes that those with the genetic variation are more likely to be involved in those acts.
I find the link between biology and behaviour extremely interesting. I don't believe moral issues should ever be be blamed on your biological make up because I believe the environment you've been raised in and the morals you've been taught determine those types of issues. I do wonder why people do certain things and maybe this could be a reason why but much more studies still need to be done.
Isn't the environment and the temperament of your partner the main reason for cheating? I can't imagine it all reducing to genes, even if something in your genes makes you more likely to engage in that behavior.
ReplyDeleteI think it's pretty dumb to try and justify immoral issues on your biological make up.
ReplyDeleteCertain things are more psychological than biological. Also, simply possessing the gene does not necessarily mean that person will commit infidelity just as we talked about in class if one has tested positive for the BRCA gene that does not necessarily mean that person will express the trait.
I can't see how someone can be genetically inclined to cheat. The fact that they only interviewed 181 young adults is not enough evidence to suggest that cheating is in your genes. And cheating amoung young adults in this day and age is very common. The researchers definitely need a broader range of subjects to study before they can make this assumption.
ReplyDeleteThis article does spark the interest if there is a genetic reason for infidelity or is it a personal choice. Once again the question of nature vs. nurture arises as to which to blame for these kinds of traits. I think it is a personal choice some people make to not be faithful to their significant other. Blaming it on genes is just an escape from one's flaws. By having this so called gene doesn't make a person express the all traits as we can see those who don't possess the gene also have committed infidelity.
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