How do you see the glass?
20 Mar 2009 by Evoluted New Media
Do you see the glass as half full or half empty? Well, what ever your outlook – it could be defined by your genes.
Do you see the glass as half full or half empty? Well, what ever your outlook – it could be defined by your genes.
Your genes may define whether you are an optimist or a pessimist according to research from the University of Essex. By comparing whether individuals preferred images with positive or negative connotations with their DNA they found that a person’s attitude was linked to the gene involved in transporting serotonin – the brain chemical associated with mood.
“We have shown for the first time that a genetic variation is linked with the tendency to look on the bright side of life,” said Professor Elaine Fox who led the research at the University of Essex. “This is a key mechanism underlying resilience to general life stress. The absence of this protection in the other forms of this genotype is linked with heightened susceptibility to anxiety and depression.”
We inherit two versions of every gene; one from the mother, and one from the father. The Essex researchers found that people with two copies of the long serotonin-transporting gene chose the positive images. When they were given the choice of a negative or neutral image they avoided the negative ones. People with one or two copies of the short gene did not show this behaviour.
Carriers of the long gene may avoid traumatic events more successfully than those with the short gene. Previous studies have shown that short gene carriers are at a higher risk of depression and suicide attempts.
The research is funded by the Wellcome Trust.
By Leila Sattary
