Critical Podium Dewanand Technology
Good behavior, religiousness may be genetic / source
physorg.com
Sacrificer unknown
Sacrifice code wfor0306
Sacrifice date 25 march 2009
http://www.physorg.com/news95050991.html
A new study in Journal of Personality shows that selfless and social
behavior is not purely a product of environment, specifically religious
environment. After studying the behavior of adult twins, researchers found
that, while altruistic behavior and religiousness tended to appear together,
the correlation was due to both environmental and genetic factors.
According to study author Laura Koenig, the popular idea that religious
individuals are more social and giving because of the behavioral mandates
set for them is incorrect. "This study shows that religiousness occurs
with these behaviors also because there are genes that predispose them
to it."
"There is, of course, no specific gene for religiousness, but individuals
do have biological predispositions to behave in certain ways," says
Koenig. "The use of twins in the current study allowed for an investigation
of the genetic and environmental influences on this type of behavior."
This research is another example of the way that genes have an impact
on behavior. "Society as a whole assumes that home environments have
large impacts on behavior, but studies in behavior genetics are repeatedly
showing that our behavior is also influenced by our genes," says
Koenig.
Source: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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