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Is optimism heritable? A study of twins

P Schulman¹, D Keith, M E Seligman

¹Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-6196.

Behaviour Research and Therapy

|July 1, 1993

Summary

Optimism appears to be heritable, with genetic factors significantly influencing this personality trait. Further research is needed to understand the indirect mechanisms of this genetic transmission.

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Behavioral Genetics

Background:

Optimism is a key personality trait influencing well-being.
Understanding the origins of optimism, including genetic influences, is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the heritability of optimism.
To determine the extent to which genetic factors contribute to individual differences in optimism.

Main Methods:

Utilized the Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ) to measure optimism.
Compared scores between 115 monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs and 27 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs.

Main Results:

Found a significant intraclass correlation of 0.48 for MZ twins (P < 0.0001).
Observed an intraclass correlation of 0 for DZ twins, suggesting a genetic component.

Conclusions:

Results indicate a substantial genetic influence on optimism.
The transmission of optimism, like other complex traits, may involve indirect genetic mechanisms.

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