In my recent podcast and in previous blog posts I’ve talked about the importance of being positive during the recession – but now it seems that some of us might be able to get a little help…..from our genes!
The Guardian newspaper recently reported the findings of researchers at Essex University who have discovered what the reporter called ‘a Brightside gene’ – that is, a genetic predisposition for having a positive outlook and seeing the glass as ‘half-full’.
I’ve talked before about the benefits that positive psychology can offer us as individuals and as a society, but I was very interested to see that researchers are now pursuing a possible genetic link. Of course, as per the nature vs nurture debate there is still an experiential aspect that determines our how we think and behave, but this research confirms the genetic component in relation to our tendency to have positive thoughts and emotions.
There is a strong link here with what we know about human personality as psychologists; most personality assessments include a measure of ‘optimism’ (or conversely pessimism if we’re feeling negative!). Personality can change to an extent over time, but some fundamental aspects of it are pretty much hardwired – for example, somebody who is naturally very introverted is very unlikely to turn into an outgoing extrovert as they go through life. The same is likely to be true of the optimist and the research by from Essex University seems to confirm this.
These findings don’t mean that people who are not genetically positive can’t learn tools and techniques that will help them to stay positive – it just means that being positive will be more of an effort and may not come naturally for them. You can learn to be cynical and look on the dark side – but equally, you can learn to stop doing this as well – particularly if your experience of being positive reinforces the benefits of this way of thinking by making you feel better and delivering positive outcomes in your life.
Elaine Fox, Head of Psychology at Essex University, told the Guardian that the gene seems to underlie some people’s ability to deal with daily stresses. She concluded that those without it are likely to have a gloomier outlook on life, and suffer more from psychological problems such as depression. This has several possible implications and applications.
The Government is investing heavily in generally supporting the psychological well-being of the nation at the present time. In the future, these efforts could become much more sophisticated – targeting help where it’s most needed. This kind of information could be invaluable for anticipating who is likely to need support, and for directing preventative services there before problems with mental illness and stress actually manifest themselves. As with all genetic research, care is needed to ensure that findings are valid and that applications of this knowledge are completely ethical, but this is a space I will be watching with great interest.
You can read more about the research at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/feb/25/optimism-brightside-gene-mental-health
http://www.essex.ac.uk/news/event.aspx?e_id=522
How much do genetics really drive behavior? My prison-to-poetry (so to speak) journey adds more dilemma than solution to this debate. http://muttslikeme.wordpress.com/about/