Genes May Influence Popularity, Study Of College Students Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081222074607.htm
This is a very interesting article that goes off of our recent and current class discussions of groups and group behavior. In class we have looked at group structure and how people fit in certain groups. We recently were asked to create models of how people are accepted into a group, stay in a group, hierarchy in a group, why people leave the group, etc. Students in class discussed more in terms of certain traits that make people accepted into groups. What I was interested in was what made people popular in certain groups or if there was a real reason for a hierarchy in groups.
This article was very interesting in the sense that I didn’t think there could be a certain gene that made people more popular than others. The idea that the article discusses is that a gene predisposes you to a certain behavior and those behaviors get different kinds of social reactions from others. So, the genes are in some way directing your social experiences. The particular gene that they have found is one that predisposes males to rule-breaking behavior, which makes them more popular in their groups. If you think back to high school, the rule-breaking kid always was more popular because they were exciting and not afraid to break rules.
This is the only gene they have found so far, but gives an interesting insight to group behavior. I do not think that genes decide where we stand in groups and what groups we are in, but they apparently do play a small role. Does anyone else find this fascinating or have opposing opinions?
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I too find this fascinating. What a concept that a gene can be a factor in behavior, especially a rule breaking one. What if, we could manipulate that gene to lessen a person's tendency to break rules? Imagine the impact that could have on society.
ReplyDeleterkaldor, manipulation of genetics for society's benefit is called eugenics. I believe that manipulating genetics can change people to a degree where a serial killer may not be one if they took out a specific gene. However, I do think that this may lead to an oversimplification of a process where humans, as primates, can and do adapt to our environments more throughout our lives. With larger brains humans can interact with an environment that rapidly shifts.
ReplyDeleteEven if gene manipulation was highly effective what implications would that have? Would that affect if people were a different religion? Would it make them more individualized or more part of a centralized community? Would it be used to make someone not black. Or gay? We must consider the implications of manipulating genes. We could very well take out what makes us all human.
This was a very intriguing study. I didn't realize that there was a possibility of genes influencing popularity. This offers some insight into possibly helping us to figure out more about what makes people popular in certain groups. It would be interesting to see in the future if others end up finding other genes that can affect or influence group behavior.
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