Credit: Tracy Whiteside, iStock / University of British Columbia
(Medical Xpress)—A new study by a University of British Columbia researcher finds that some people are genetically predisposed to see the world darkly.
The study, published in Psychological Science, finds that a previously known gene variant can cause individuals to perceive emotional events—especially negative ones – more vividly than others.
"This is the first study to find that this genetic variation can significantly affect how people see and experience the world," says Prof. Rebecca Todd of UBC's Dept. of Psychology. "The findings suggest people experience emotional aspects of the world partly through gene-coloured glasses – and that biological variations at the genetic level can play a significant role in individual differences in perception."
The gene in question is the ADRA2b deletion variant, which influences the hormone and neurotransmitter norepinephrine. Previously found to play a role in the formation of emotional memories, the new study shows that the ADRA2b deletion variant also plays a role in real-time perception.
The study's 200 participants were shown positive, negative and neutral words in a rapid succession. Participants with the ADRA2b gene variant were more likely to perceive negative words than others, while both groups perceived positive words better than neutral words to an equal degree.
"These individuals may be more likely to pick out angry faces in a crowd of people," says Todd. "Outdoors, they might notice potential hazards – places you could slip, loose rocks that might fall – instead of seeing the natural beauty."
This video is not supported by your browser at this time.
The findings shed new light on ways in which genetics – combined with other factors such as education, culture, and moods – can affect individual differences in emotional perception and human subjectivity, the researchers say.
Further research is planned to explore this phenomenon across ethnic groups. While more than half of Caucasians are believed to have the ADRA2b gene variant, statistics suggest it is significantly less prevalent in other ethnicities. For example, a recent study found that only 10 per cent of Rwandans had the ADRA2b gene variant.
Explore further: Gene variant linked to prognosis in inflammatory diseases
More information: Genes for emotion-enhanced remembering are linked to enhanced perceiving, Psychological Science, 2013.
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Gene variant linked to prognosis in inflammatory diseases
Oct 08, 2013
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers have identified a gene that is linked to long term disease outcome in Crohn's disease, a common inflammatory bowel disorder, and rheumatoid arthritis. The findings reveal targets ...
Why blame feels hard to take
Oct 03, 2013
When something we do produces a positive result, we actually perceive it differently than we would if that same action yielded a negative result. In particular, people feel a greater connection between voluntary actions and ...
Wedded bliss or blues? Scientists link DNA to marital satisfaction
Oct 07, 2013
What makes some people more prone to wedded bliss or sorrow than others? Researchers at UC Berkeley and Northwestern University have found a major clue in our DNA. A gene involved in the regulation of serotonin ...
Gene impedes recovery from alcoholism
Nov 15, 2011
People who are alcohol-dependent and who also carry a particular variant of a gene run an increased risk of premature death. This is a recent finding from the interdisciplinary research at the Department of Psychology and ...
Same gene variant promotes pain in women, suppresses pain in men
Apr 12, 2013
More women than men develop chronic low back pain and sciatica. The explanation may lie with a gene variant that plays into the body's pain regulation.
Recommended for you
School body image lessons improve teen body esteem
2 hours ago
(Medical Xpress)—Training teachers to deliver body image lessons to teenagers in schools could help improve body esteem and reduce the risk of eating disorders, according to new research by King's College ...
Depression and poor diet during pregnancy 'can affect child cognitive function'
2 hours ago
(Medical Xpress)—New research led by King's College London shows that women who are depressed during pregnancy are more likely to have an unhealthy diet – which can negatively impact on their children's ...
Suicidal talk on Twitter mirrors suicide rates
2 hours ago
(Medical Xpress)—Heart-breaking accounts of cyber bullying and suicide seem all too common, but a new study offers hope that social media can become an early warning system to help prevent such tragedies.
Limited evidence that facial procedures improve quality of life
2 hours ago
(Medical Xpress)—Despite the rapid rise in facial cosmetic procedures, there are few studies that investigate their psychological impact on patients, especially among those who undergo minimally invasive procedures using ...
How does your whisky taste?
2 hours ago
Manipulating people's senses with environmental triggers can have a significant effect on the taste of whisky. An experiment, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Flavour, reveals that particip ...
Depression during pregnancy may raise risk of psychiatric trouble in kids
16 hours ago
(HealthDay)—Teens are more likely to experience depression at age 18 if their mothers were depressed during pregnancy, a new study finds.
User comments
© Medical Xpress 2011-2013, Phys.org network
Credit: Tracy Whiteside, iStock / University of British Columbia
(Medical Xpress)—A new study by a University of British Columbia researcher finds that some people are genetically predisposed to see the world darkly.
The study, published in Psychological Science, finds that a previously known gene variant can cause individuals to perceive emotional events—especially negative ones – more vividly than others.
"This is the first study to find that this genetic variation can significantly affect how people see and experience the world," says Prof. Rebecca Todd of UBC's Dept. of Psychology. "The findings suggest people experience emotional aspects of the world partly through gene-coloured glasses – and that biological variations at the genetic level can play a significant role in individual differences in perception."
The gene in question is the ADRA2b deletion variant, which influences the hormone and neurotransmitter norepinephrine. Previously found to play a role in the formation of emotional memories, the new study shows that the ADRA2b deletion variant also plays a role in real-time perception.
The study's 200 participants were shown positive, negative and neutral words in a rapid succession. Participants with the ADRA2b gene variant were more likely to perceive negative words than others, while both groups perceived positive words better than neutral words to an equal degree.
"These individuals may be more likely to pick out angry faces in a crowd of people," says Todd. "Outdoors, they might notice potential hazards – places you could slip, loose rocks that might fall – instead of seeing the natural beauty."
This video is not supported by your browser at this time.
The findings shed new light on ways in which genetics – combined with other factors such as education, culture, and moods – can affect individual differences in emotional perception and human subjectivity, the researchers say.
Further research is planned to explore this phenomenon across ethnic groups. While more than half of Caucasians are believed to have the ADRA2b gene variant, statistics suggest it is significantly less prevalent in other ethnicities. For example, a recent study found that only 10 per cent of Rwandans had the ADRA2b gene variant.
Explore further: Gene variant linked to prognosis in inflammatory diseases
More information: Genes for emotion-enhanced remembering are linked to enhanced perceiving, Psychological Science, 2013.
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Gene variant linked to prognosis in inflammatory diseases
Oct 08, 2013
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers have identified a gene that is linked to long term disease outcome in Crohn's disease, a common inflammatory bowel disorder, and rheumatoid arthritis. The findings reveal targets ...
Why blame feels hard to take
Oct 03, 2013
When something we do produces a positive result, we actually perceive it differently than we would if that same action yielded a negative result. In particular, people feel a greater connection between voluntary actions and ...
Wedded bliss or blues? Scientists link DNA to marital satisfaction
Oct 07, 2013
What makes some people more prone to wedded bliss or sorrow than others? Researchers at UC Berkeley and Northwestern University have found a major clue in our DNA. A gene involved in the regulation of serotonin ...
Gene impedes recovery from alcoholism
Nov 15, 2011
People who are alcohol-dependent and who also carry a particular variant of a gene run an increased risk of premature death. This is a recent finding from the interdisciplinary research at the Department of Psychology and ...
Same gene variant promotes pain in women, suppresses pain in men
Apr 12, 2013
More women than men develop chronic low back pain and sciatica. The explanation may lie with a gene variant that plays into the body's pain regulation.
Recommended for you
School body image lessons improve teen body esteem
2 hours ago
(Medical Xpress)—Training teachers to deliver body image lessons to teenagers in schools could help improve body esteem and reduce the risk of eating disorders, according to new research by King's College ...
Depression and poor diet during pregnancy 'can affect child cognitive function'
2 hours ago
(Medical Xpress)—New research led by King's College London shows that women who are depressed during pregnancy are more likely to have an unhealthy diet – which can negatively impact on their children's ...
Suicidal talk on Twitter mirrors suicide rates
2 hours ago
(Medical Xpress)—Heart-breaking accounts of cyber bullying and suicide seem all too common, but a new study offers hope that social media can become an early warning system to help prevent such tragedies.
Limited evidence that facial procedures improve quality of life
2 hours ago
(Medical Xpress)—Despite the rapid rise in facial cosmetic procedures, there are few studies that investigate their psychological impact on patients, especially among those who undergo minimally invasive procedures using ...
How does your whisky taste?
2 hours ago
Manipulating people's senses with environmental triggers can have a significant effect on the taste of whisky. An experiment, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Flavour, reveals that particip ...
Depression during pregnancy may raise risk of psychiatric trouble in kids
16 hours ago
(HealthDay)—Teens are more likely to experience depression at age 18 if their mothers were depressed during pregnancy, a new study finds.
User comments
© Medical Xpress 2011-2013, Phys.org network
0 comments:
Post a Comment