Serotonin Transporter Gene Polymorphisms and Maternal Overprotection Regulate Adult Social Expectations on Close Relationships

Humans are evolutionary-driven to adult mating and conceive social expectations on the quality of their affiliations. The genetic susceptibility to adverse environments in critical periods can alter close relationships. The current research investigates how the promoter region of the Serotonin Transporter Gene (5-HTTLPR) and perceived caregiving behavior in childhood could influence the social expectations on close adult relationships. For this purpose, 5-HTTLPR data was collected from the buccal mucosa of 65 Italian individuals (33 males). The participants filled (a) the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) to provide the levels of care and overprotection from mother and father, and (b) the Experience in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) to report the social expectations on the intimate relationship assessed in terms of anxiety and avoidance from the partner. An interaction effect between 5-HTTLPR and PBI dimensions on the ECR-R scores was hypothesized. Results confirmed that the interplay between the genetic groups and history of maternal overprotection predicted avoidance experienced in romantic relationships in adulthood. Moreover, both adult anxiety and avoidance felt in an intimate relationship were found to covary as a function of maternal overprotection. The present work proposes further evidence of the genetic and parental mechanisms regulating social expectations involved in close relationships.

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Serotonin Transporter Gene Polymorphisms and Maternal Overprotection Regulate Adult Social Expectations on Close Relationships

10.20944/preprints202104.0685.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Andrea Bonassi ◽

Ilaria Cataldo ◽

Giulio Gabrieli ◽

Bruno Lepri ◽

Gianluca Esposito

Keyword(s):

Serotonin Transporter ◽

Close Relationships ◽

Intimate Relationship ◽

Serotonin Transporter Gene ◽

Social Expectations ◽

Transporter Gene ◽

Critical Periods ◽

Levels Of Care ◽

The Social ◽

History Of

Humans are evolutionary-driven to adult mating and conceive social expectations on the quality of their affiliations. The genetic susceptibility to adverse environments in critical periods can alter close relationships. The current research investigates how the promoter region of the Serotonin Transporter Gene (5-HTTLPR) and perceived caregiving behavior in childhood could influence the social expectations on close adult relationships. For this purpose, 5-HTTLPR data was collected from the buccal mucosa of 65 Italian individuals (33 males). The participants filled a) the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) to provide the levels of care and overprotection from mother and father, and b) the Experience in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) to report the social expectations on the intimate relationship assessed in terms of anxiety and avoidance from the partner. An interaction effect between 5-HTTLPR and PBI dimensions on the ECR-R scores was hypothesized. Results confirmed that the interplay between the genetic groups and history of maternal overprotection predicted avoidance experienced in romantic relationships in adulthood. Moreover, both adult anxiety and avoidance felt in an intimate relationship were found to covary as a function of maternal overprotection. The present work proposes further evidence of the genetic and parental mechanisms regulating social expectations involved in close relationships.

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Association Between Serotonin Transporter Gene Polymorphism and Family History of Attempted and Completed Suicide

Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior ◽

10.1521/suli.32.3.329.22167 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 329-332 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Thomas E. Joiner ◽

Frank Johnson ◽

Ken Soderstrom

Keyword(s):

Family History ◽

Gene Polymorphism ◽

Serotonin Transporter ◽

Serotonin Transporter Gene ◽

Transporter Gene ◽

Completed Suicide ◽

History Of

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Variant at serotonin transporter gene predicts increased imitation in toddlers: relevance to the human capacity for cumulative culture

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2016.0106 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 20160106 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kari Britt Schroeder ◽

Philip Asherson ◽

Peter R. Blake ◽

Susan K. Fenstermacher ◽

Kimberly J. Saudino

Keyword(s):

Serotonin Transporter ◽

Group Identification ◽

Global Scale ◽

Serotonin Transporter Gene ◽

Transporter Gene ◽

Cumulative Culture ◽

Short Allele ◽

Proximate Mechanisms ◽

History Of ◽

Human Capacity

Cumulative culture ostensibly arises from a set of sociocognitive processes which includes high-fidelity production imitation, prosociality and group identification. The latter processes are facilitated by unconscious imitation or social mimicry. The proximate mechanisms of individual variation in imitation may thus shed light on the evolutionary history of the human capacity for cumulative culture. In humans, a genetic component to variation in the propensity for imitation is likely. A functional length polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene, the short allele at 5HTTLPR, is associated with heightened responsiveness to the social environment as well as anatomical and activational differences in the brain's imitation circuity. Here, we evaluate whether this polymorphism contributes to variation in production imitation and social mimicry. Toddlers with the short allele at 5HTTLPR exhibit increased social mimicry and increased fidelity of demonstrated novel object manipulations. Thus, the short allele is associated with two forms of imitation that may underlie the human capacity for cumulative culture. The short allele spread relatively recently, possibly due to selection, and its frequency varies dramatically on a global scale. Diverse observations can be unified via conceptualization of 5HTTLPR as influencing the propensity to experience others' emotions, actions and sensations, potentially through the mirror mechanism.

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