Choice drives virtually all behavior and is one of the most studied phenomena in psychology. The present research brings together three previously separate bodies of knowledge to further illuminate the nature of choice processes, with a particular emphasis on choice justification -- a phenomenon involving increased preference for a chosen option and decreased preference for a rejected option. The research involves a Gene X Situation X Culture Interaction Framework. Although the present effort is ambitious, recent developments in three relevant areas of research make the effort, not only possible, but also potentially fruitful.
From cultural psychological work we know that choice justification is ubiquitous and, yet, the situations in which it occurs vary systematically across cultures: Whereas European Americans (who tend to see themselves as independent from others) justify choices they make for themselves, Asians (who tend to see themselves as interdependent with others) justify choices they make for their friends. From the neuroscience of decision-making, we know that choice justification occurs at the mesocorticolimbic neural pathway of reward processing. From genetics we know that the neural pathway of reward processing is regulated closely by several dopamine system related genes. In combination, these three bodies of literature add importantly to the current view that choice making is neither static nor merely cognitive. Instead, choice making is best conceptualized as an open, dynamic process that receives constant input from genes, situations, and culture.
To investigate how choice justification depends on genes, situations (i.e., self vs. friend choice), and culture (i.e., European American vs. Asian), the current proposal involves one large-scale, cross-cultural imaging genetics study -- the first of its kind. Both European Americans and East Asians who have either high or low genetic profiles of dopamine signaling capacity will be recruited. They will be scanned while making choices for themselves or for their friends. It is anticipated that when choices are made for the self, choice justification as revealed in activity in the ventral striatal area will be most pronounced for European Americans and, moreover, among European Americans the effect will be stronger for those with genetic profiles linked to high (vs. low) dopamine signaling capacity. In contrast, when choices are made for friends, the choice justification effect as revealed in the same ventral striatal region will be most pronounced for Asians and, moreover, among Asians this effect will be stronger for those with the genetic profiles associated with high (vs. low) dopamine signaling capacity.
If confirmed, the current prediction regarding Gene X Situation X Culture interaction effects will support the view that the study of human mind requires a multi-disciplinary point of view. For example, neither genetics nor neuroscience can be neatly separated from careful analysis of society and culture that provides the context for both genes and the brain to operate. The current work will therefore contribute to teaching, training and knowledge creation of several different fields. Furthermore, the current work will be conducted by a multi-cultural and ethnic group of researchers and research assistants with participants who have multi-cultural and ethnic backgrounds. This work will therefore help educate and train underrepresented groups of individuals in the biological and behavioral sciences.
