Although public interest in genes and genotyping is increasing, much of the public discourse on genetics centers on the simplistic notion that there is a clear gene that can be directly linked to specific psychological or behavioral tendencies (e.g. ?The Shyness Gene?). This simplistic understanding of the role of genes can be particularly problematic when it is associated with group differences, such as cultural and racial differences, as such a view can lead to thinking that many observed psychological and behavioral differences are innate and fixed. The influence of genes on the shaping of everyday behaviors is far from simple and how social and cultural factors impact the behavioral expression of genes is still largely unknown. The present research examines how culture might influence the way in which particular genes lead to specific patterns of behaviors. Previous research has found that there are large differences in how people rely on social support to cope with their stress. That is, European Americans tend to seek social support more explicitly and directly than Asians/Asian Americans, who prefer more indirect and implicit social support. Previous research has also found that particular genes (e.g., serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism) can influence psychological predispositions (e.g., how strongly a person reacts to stress). Building on these findings, this research examines whether people with the same genetic predisposition actually behave in largely different manners, if they are exposed to different cultural norms and expectations. The research will thus investigate whether and how culture might diversify the psychological and behavioral expression of genes. More specifically, the present research will examine: 1) how specific genes are linked to psychological proneness to stress reactivity and social affiliation; 2) how culture interacts with these specific genes to produce the culturally divergent ways in which people use social support; and 3) how the culturally specific patterns of social support behavior of Asians change as they acculturate to the U.S. The studies will combine genetic analysis with multiple psychological methods, such as large survey design, lab experiment, and daily diary.
Bridging the fields of psychology, biology, and anthropology, this program of research aims to create a new interdisciplinary theoretical framework for understanding cross-cultural and cross-ethnic behavioral variation. This program of research, an international collaboration between researchers in the United States and the Republic of Korea, will also foster opportunities for researchers and students to be exposed to and trained in theoretical and technical approaches in the different disciplines. Finally, this program of research will contribute to a scientific pool of knowledge that can be utilized in educating the public regarding the role of genes in the determination of human behaviors and promoting a more sophisticated understanding of group differences.
Intellectual Merit: With support from NSF Human and Social Dynamics, an international team of psychologists and geneticists collected psychological and genetic data from samples of South Koreans and North Americans. This research found that genes that relate to the serotonin system and the oxytocin system can produce very different cognitive, emotional, and interpersonal behaviors depending on the cultural experiences of people. For instance, people who carry an emotional sensitivity variant of oxytocin receptor gene behave in ways that are more culturally normative than people who do not carry the variant. The findings help dispel a simplistic understanding of the role of genes that can be extremely problematic when it is associated with cultural and racial group differences. By demonstrating how the same genetic predisposition can lead to different behavioral patterns as a result of different cultural experiences and social interactions, this approach illustrates both the impact and limitations of genetic analyses and provides further scientific evidence of the process by which genes influence human behavior. Broader Impact: As increasing attention is paid to genetic contributions to behavior, these findings highlight the importance of recognizing culture as a form of social environment that interacts with genes to shape human behavior. The old saying that people are products of both nurture and nature is undoubtedly true, and this research offers a new way of thinking about how factors of nature and nurture interact.
