Genes predispose some people to focus on the negative

Some people are genetically predisposed to see the world darkly, according to a study from the laboratory of a researcher now on the faculty of Cornell's College of Human Ecology. Adam K. Anderson, associate professor of human development, is continuing his research on emotions, genetics and perception, which began at his laboratory at the University of Toronto in collaboration with scientists at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Their study, published in September in Psychological Science, found a previously known gene variant causing some individuals to perceive emotional events - especially negative ones - more acutely than others. "This genetic variation contributes to how emotions bias individuals to see the same world in different ways," says Anderson. "More than just how we may later remember, these findings suggest genetics influence how our brains pick and choose which events to perceive in the first place." The gene in question is the ADRA2b deletion variant, which influences the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. Previously found to play a role in the formation of emotional memories, the new study shows that the ADRA2b deletion variant also plays a role in real-time perception. Some 200 study participants were shown positive, negative and neutral words in a rapid succession, each at 1/10th of a second.