Dopamine and risk choices in different domains: Findings among serious tournament bridge players

作者：Dreber Anna; Rand David G; Wernerfelt Nils; Garcia Justin R; Vilar Miguel G; Lum J Koji; Zeckhauser Richard^*

来源：Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, 2011, 43(1): 19-38.

DOI：10.1007/s11166-011-9119-z

• Risk preferences
• Dopamine
• Risk-taking
• Contract bridge
• Advantageous risks
• DRD4

We explore how risk-taking in the card game contract bridge, and in a financial gamble, correlate with variation in the dopamine receptor D4 gene (DRD4) among serious tournament bridge players. In bridge risk-taking, we find significant interactions between genetic predisposition and skill. Among men with the 7-repeat allele of DRD4, namely 7R + men, those with more bridge skill take more good risks and fewer bad risks, while the opposite is found for less-expert 7R + men. Conversely, skill does not predict risk-taking among men without the 7R + allele. Consistent with some prior studies, we also find that 7R + men take more risk in the financial gamble. We find no relationship between 7R + and either risk measure among our female subjects. Our results suggest that the dopamine system plays an important role in individual differences in risk-taking among men, and is the first to distinguish between advantageous and disadvantageous risk-taking.

• 出版日期2011-8