How do you see the glass?
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.
“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
