Appeal of Gambling May Be Genetic, Study Shows
Everyone knows that prudent person, always saving a dime here and there, someone to whom gambling represents horrors; and everyone also recognizes the counterpoint, the easy-come easy-go party person who enjoys nothing more than taking a risk, be it hang gliding, gambling, or investing in the stock market. Now a study shows that gambling and risky behavior might be encouraged by certain genetic make-up.
According to a report by Science Daily, a study at Northwestern University found that people with a short version of a serotonin gene were far less likely to indulge risky behavior as those with a longer version of the same gene.
Prior research had shown that the serotonin gene, along with the dopamine receptor gene, could contribute to addictive behavior. But Camelia Kuhnen, professor of finance at Northwestern and the study's co-author, said, "Our research pinpoints, for the first time, the roles that specific variants of the serotonin transporter gene and the dopamine receptor gene, play in predicting whether people are more or less likely to take financial risks."
Gaming is more pleasurable to those whose genetic make-up steers them to "novelty seeking behavior." Likewise, those on the other end of the spectrum tend to worry and obsess over potential damage, and aren't drawn by the possible benefits.
Still, Kuhnen noted that risk-taking can be influenced by many conditions as well as genetics, including experience and upbringing. But differences can be predicted, for the first time, by specific gene identification.
