EAST LANSING, Ill., Dec. 22 (UPI) -- A Michigan State University scientist in East Lansing, Mich., said that genes may influence popularity.
Behavioral geneticist S. Alexandra Burt said it's not unusual for adolescent rule-breakers to be well-liked -- previous research has made that link -- but the findings show meaningful evidence for the role of a specific gene in this process.
"The idea is that your genes predispose you to certain behaviors and those behaviors elicit different kinds of social reactions from others," Burt said in a statement. "And so what's happening is, your genes are to some extent driving your social experiences."
Burt collected DNA from more than 200 male college students in two separate samples. After interacting in a lab setting for about an hour, the students filled out a questionnaire about whom they most liked in their group. In both samples, the most popular students turned out to be the ones with a particular form of a serotonin gene that was also associated with rule-breaking behavior.
The study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, said that the gene predisposed them to rule-breaking behavior and their rule-breaking behavior made them more popular.
