Verhaltensgenetik der Persönlichkeit

Der britische Evolutionäre Psychologe Daniel Nettle erklärt in einem Artikel (The Independent) moderne Erkenntnisse der Humangenetik zur Psychologie der Persönlichkeit:

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Geneticists, too, are getting involved in personality research. It has recently become apparent that more of the human genome differs from individual to individual, even within our rather genetically homogenous species, than was previously thought.

We know this inter alia from the complete sequence of Dr Craig Venter's genome, which was published earlier this month. About 0.5 per cent of the genetic information in his maternally-inherited genome is different from his paternally-inherited one. Variant sequences affect nearly half his genes, and it is likely that in many cases those variants will have some functional effect on body, brain or behaviour.

In a few cases, we even know which genetic variants have effects on personality. There is a gene that encodes a receptor molecule for the neurotransmitter dopamine, and which contains a repeating sequence whose length varies from person to person. A number of studies have found that the length of this sequence correlates with self-reported extraversion and reward-seeking behaviour.

In another gene, the serotonin transporter, individuals with one variant are more likely to develop depressive symptoms in response to stressful life events than bearers of the other version. In a few years, we may be in the position of actually understanding the molecular bases of the differences in nature that we observe between healthy humans. (But note that genetic effects will not turn out to be the whole story; only around half of the variation in personality looks like being heritable, with the rest probably shaped by early environmental exposures and other developmental processes.)

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Auch weitere wichtige Erkenntnisse der modernen Persönlichkeits-Psychologie werden erläutert. (Siehe dazu ebenfalls die empfehlenswerte Neuauflage des Lehrbuches von Jens Asendorpf, Berlin, "Psychologie der Persönlichkeit".)