5-HTTLPR polymorphism and cross-cultural adaptation: the role of relational openness as a mediator

Abstract

Prior evidence suggests increased social interaction anxiety among carriers of the short (s) allele of the serotonin transporter gene polymorphism (5-HTTLPR), relative to the long (l) allele carriers. According to gene-culture coevolution hypothesis, the collectivistic norm of lower levels of relational openness (i.e., lesser inclinations to meet new people) and 5-HTTLPR s allele co-evolved under the environmental pressure of high pathogen prevalence. We examined if the 5-HTTLPR s allele and low relational openness are associated at the levels of the society and the individual. In Study 1, we found across 21 countries, those with a higher prevalence of the l allele of 5-HTTLPR (L%) tend to b..