Ruthless Behavior Could Be in Your Genes

A recent study at Hebrew University should have you wondering if political candidates, in particular candidates for the United States presidency, should be subjected to a genetic screen before being permitted to get on the ballot - any ballot. According to that study, there may be a gene that leads people to act in a ruthless and self-serving way - and they literally may not be able to help themselves because of the rush they get from acting in such a way.

The study screened 200 students for a specific gene, AVPR1a, which has been shown to have a direct relationship to how the body detects and uses the neurotransmitter vasopressin. Vasopressin has been shown to have an effect on altruistic and 'prosocial' behaviors. Each student then played the Dictator Game (without the students knowing what the researchers called it) with a simple set of rules.

Those with shorter versions of the AVPR1a gene were given the role of dictator - in control of all the money available in the game. They were permitted to choose to distribute the money as they saw fit to recipient players - or to keep it all for themselves. Recipient players were given no money - and each of them had a longer version of the AVPR1a gene. The dictators could also steal money from the recipients.

The results - 18% of the time, the dictators would keep everything for themselves, and in some cases, they would steal money given to the recipients by other dictators, or by themselves. In some cases, the dictators would give away part of the money - only to steal it back. In only 6% of the cases did the dictators distribute all of the money and not steal it back.

Gender played no role in how dictators played the game. Men and women were equally likely to be little despots in the Dictator Game - seemingly dependant on the length of the AVPR1a gene. The shorter the gene, the more likely the dictator would ruthlessly take all of the resources for themselves.

The study's leader, Richard Ebstein, theorizes that the length of the gene dictates how the vasopressin receptors are distributed within the brain. Certain areas of the brain are known to be associated with altruistic behavior, while other areas, such as the amygdalia, are more keenly associated with selfish and self-serving behaviors.

Unfortunately, well-known dictators like Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, Pol Pot, and Robert Mugabe are not available for genetic testing to see if there is a correlation in the real world.

The results should make you wonder about the motivations behind the Economic Stimulus package slated for release in May 2008.