The role of culture-gene coevolution in morality judgment: examining the interplay between tightness-looseness and allelic variation of the serotonin transporter gene.

ABSTRACT: This research provides novel insights into the evolutionary basis of cultural norm development and maintenance. We yield evidence for a unique culture-gene coevolutionary model between ecological threat, allelic frequency of the serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR), cultural tightness-looseness-the strength of norms and tolerance for deviance from norms-and moral justifiability. As hypothesized, the results across 21 nations show that: (a) propensity for ecological threat correlates with short (S) allele frequency in the 5-HTTLPR, (b) allelic frequency in the 5-HTTLPR and vulnerability to ecological threat both correlate with cultural tightness-looseness, (c) susceptibility to ecological threat predicts tightness-looseness via the mediation of S allele carriers, and (d) frequency

SUBMITTER: Mrazek AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3880222 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature