Optimism may be genetic
British study finds link between DNA and positive attitude
LONDON – If you’ve noticed that cheerfulness seems to run in families, it turns out you’re onto something: Researchers at the University of Essex have tracked down a genetic tendency to optimism.
Variations in a gene that affects the transport of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that influences emotions and mood, can make people look harder for good things and downplay bad ones, according to a study published last week in a British research journal.
The study, which tracked whether people tended to pay more attention to positive or negative images, found a clear link between the tendency to focus on the positive among people and two short versions of the gene being studied. In people with two long versions of the gene, or one long and one short, “the protective pattern was completely absent,” researchers noted.
The study, which may help explain why some people are able to bounce back easily from life’s stresses, shows “for the first time that a genetic variation is linked with the tendency to look on the bright side of life,” said Elaine Fox, the lead researcher and head of the university’s psychology department.