A common heritable factor influences prosocial obligations across multiple domains

作者：Lewis Gary J^*; Bates Timothy C

来源：Biology Letters, 2011, 7(4): 567-570.

DOI：10.1098/rsbl.2010.1187

• behaviour genetics
• prosociality
• obligations
• civic duty
• twins
• welfare

Although it has been shown that prosocial behaviour is heritable, it has not yet been established whether narrower aspects of prosociality are heritable, nor whether a common mechanism influences prosociality across its multiple domains. Here, we examine civic duty, work-place commitment and concern for the welfare of others with a study of prosocial obligations in 958 adult twin-pairs. Multivariate modelling indicated the existence of genetic factors underlying general prosocial obligations in females, with familial effects (genetic and shared-environment effects were indistinguishable) influencing this general mechanism in males. At the domain-specific level, modest genetic effects were observed in females for civic and work obligations, with shared-environment effects influencing welfare obligations. In males, genetic influences were observed for welfare obligation, with unique environments affecting work and civic duty.

• 出版日期2011-8-23