GENETIC RISK INFORMATION INFLUENCES RISK-TAKING BEHAVIOR Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Research indicates that people will behave in ways that are consistent with the genes they believe they possess. We examined this tendency in the context of risk-taking. We predicted that bogus genetic testing results indicating a propensity for risk-taking would cause participants to demonstrate riskier behavior. Participants submitted saliva tests and were randomly assigned to receive bogus genetic feedback indicating high propensity or low propensity for risk-taking. They then completed a standardized measure of risk-taking behavior. Results showed that those who received feedback indicating they were genetically disposed to risky behavior demonstrated higher risk-taking behavior than those who received feedback indicating that they were genetically disposed to risk aversion. These findings extend work on genetic feedback effects to a new domain and further reveal the ways that genetic feedback shapes behavior independent of one's actual genetic propensities.

published proceedings

  • SOCIAL COGNITION

altmetric score

  • 19.9

author list (cited authors)

  • Wheat, R., Vess, M., & Holte, P.

citation count

  • 0

complete list of authors

  • Wheat, Ryan||Vess, Matthew||Holte, Patricia

publication date

  • August 2022