Asymmetrical genetic attributions for prosocial versus antisocial behaviour

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Genetics
• Social Cognition

Background:

• Genetic explanations for human behavior are increasingly prevalent.
• The influence of perceived blameworthiness on genetic attributions remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether judgments of blameworthiness impact genetic attributions for behavior.
• To explore the psychological mechanisms underlying the perceived genetic influence on prosocial versus antisocial actions.

Main Methods:

• Six studies were conducted with participants evaluating the genetic basis of described prosocial and antisocial behaviors.
• Participants rated the extent to which genetics influenced observed behaviors.
• Mediation analyses were employed to examine the role of accountability in genetic attributions.

Main Results:

• Antisocial behavior was consistently perceived as less genetically influenced than prosocial behavior.
• This effect persisted even when genetic explanations were explicitly presented or denied.
• Motivated reasoning, specifically the desire to hold wrongdoers responsible, mediated the asymmetry in genetic attributions.

Conclusions:

• Judgments of blameworthiness can significantly shape genetic attributions for human behavior.
• The tendency to attribute less genetic influence to antisocial actions may be driven by a need for accountability.
• Researchers and practitioners should consider motivated causal reasoning when examining the impact of genetic explanations on behavioral evaluations.