Researchers Find a 'Liberal Gene'

[^_^ 5,021]

ScienceDaily (Oct. 27, 2010) — Liberals may owe their political outlook partly to their genetic make-up, according to new research from the University of California, San Diego, and Harvard University. Ideology is affected not just by social factors, but also by a dopamine receptor gene called DRD4. The study's authors say this is the first research to identify a specific gene that predisposes people to certain political views.

...

People with a specific variant of the DRD4 gene were more likely to be liberal as adults, but only if they had an active social life in adolescence.

...

Previous research has identified a connection between a variant of this gene and novelty-seeking behavior, and this behavior has previously been associated with personality traits related to political liberalism.

...

People with the novelty-seeking gene variant would be more interested in learning about their friends' points of view. As a consequence, people with this genetic predisposition who have a greater-than-average number of friends would be exposed to a wider variety of social norms and lifestyles, which might make them more liberal than average. They reported that "it is the crucial interaction of two factors -- the genetic predisposition and the environmental condition of having many friends in adolescence -- that is associated with being more liberal." The research team also showed that this held true independent of ethnicity, culture, sex or age.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101027161452.htm

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

ScienceDaily (Oct. 27, 2010) — Liberals may owe their political outlook partly to their genetic make-up, according to new research from the University of California, San Diego, and Harvard University. Ideology is affected not just by social factors, but also by a dopamine receptor gene called DRD4. The study's authors say this is the first research to identify a specific gene that predisposes people to certain political views.

...

People with a specific variant of the DRD4 gene were more likely to be liberal as adults, but only if they had an active social life in adolescence.

...

Previous research has identified a connection between a variant of this gene and novelty-seeking behavior, and this behavior has previously been associated with personality traits related to political liberalism.

...

People with the novelty-seeking gene variant would be more interested in learning about their friends' points of view. As a consequence, people with this genetic predisposition who have a greater-than-average number of friends would be exposed to a wider variety of social norms and lifestyles, which might make them more liberal than average. They reported that "it is the crucial interaction of two factors -- the genetic predisposition and the environmental condition of having many friends in adolescence -- that is associated with being more liberal." The research team also showed that this held true independent of ethnicity, culture, sex or age.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101027161452.htm

Seems like I posted something along this line about a year ago.

[mawilson 2,133]

In other words, it's incurable?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Found it! Evidently, San Francisco found it first!

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/261194-researchers-at-ucsf-discover-liberal-gene/page__view__findpost__p__4008438__hl__gene+liberal__fromsearch__1

[peejay 327]

In other words, it's incurable?

Some pundits have suggested that it is a mental illness. That sufferers of this affliction use feelings and emotions rather than cognitive thought to analyze and solve problems.

[The_Dude 1,142]

ScienceDaily (Oct. 27, 2010) — Liberals may owe their political outlook partly to their genetic make-up, according to new research from the University of California, San Diego, and Harvard University. Ideology is affected not just by social factors, but also by a dopamine receptor gene called DRD4. The study's authors say this is the first research to identify a specific gene that predisposes people to certain political views.

...

People with a specific variant of the DRD4 gene were more likely to be liberal as adults, but only if they had an active social life in adolescence.

...

Previous research has identified a connection between a variant of this gene and novelty-seeking behavior, and this behavior has previously been associated with personality traits related to political liberalism.

...

People with the novelty-seeking gene variant would be more interested in learning about their friends' points of view. As a consequence, people with this genetic predisposition who have a greater-than-average number of friends would be exposed to a wider variety of social norms and lifestyles, which might make them more liberal than average. They reported that "it is the crucial interaction of two factors -- the genetic predisposition and the environmental condition of having many friends in adolescence -- that is associated with being more liberal." The research team also showed that this held true independent of ethnicity, culture, sex or age.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101027161452.htm

Now if only they had found this, and a method to test for it before birth when Gary was gestating.

[Ban Hammer 13,470]

In other words, it's incurable?