The Sleeping-Around Gene
People’s predilections for promiscuity lie partially in their DNA, according to a new study. The researchers are careful to point out that transgressors are not off the hook.
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A particular version of a dopamine receptor gene called DRD4 is linked to people’s tendency toward both infidelity and uncommitted one-night stands, the researchers reported Nov. 30 in the online open-access journal PloS One. The same gene has already been linked to alcoholism and gambling addiction, as well as less destructive thrills like a love of horror films. One study linked the gene to an openness to new social situations, which in turn correlated with political liberalism.
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