Looking for reward in all the wrong places: dopamine receptor gene polymorphisms indirectly affect aggression through sensation-seeking

Individuals with genotypes that code for reduced dopaminergic brain activity often exhibit a predisposition toward aggression. However, it remains largely unknown how dopaminergic genotypes may increase aggression. Lower-functioning dopamine systems motivate individuals to seek reward from external...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social neuroscience 2016-10, Vol.11 (5), p.487-494
Main Authors: Chester, David S., DeWall, C. Nathan, Derefinko, Karen J., Estus, Steven, Lynam, Donald R., Peters, Jessica R., Jiang, Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aggression
Aggressiveness
Dopamine
DRD2
European Continental Ancestry Group - genetics
Executive Function
Female
Genotyping Techniques
Humans
Male
Models, Genetic
Models, Psychological
Neuropsychology
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
Psychological Tests
Receptors, Dopamine D2 - genetics
Reward
sensation-seeking
Violence
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Individuals with genotypes that code for reduced dopaminergic brain activity often exhibit a predisposition toward aggression. However, it remains largely unknown how dopaminergic genotypes may increase aggression. Lower-functioning dopamine systems motivate individuals to seek reward from external sources such as illicit drugs and other risky experiences. Based on emerging evidence that aggression is a rewarding experience, we predicted that the effect of lower-functioning dopaminergic functioning on aggression would be mediated by tendencies to seek the environment for rewards. Caucasian female and male undergraduates (N = 277) were genotyped for five polymorphisms of the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) gene; they reported their previous history of aggression and their dispositional reward-seeking. Lower-functioning DRD2 profiles were associated with greater sensation-seeking, which then predicted greater aggression. Our findings suggest that lower-functioning dopaminergic activity puts individuals at risk for violence because it motivates them to experience aggression's hedonically rewarding qualities.
ISSN:1747-0919
1747-0927
DOI:10.1080/17470919.2015.1119191