1. Covariance structure of neuroticism and agreeableness: a twin and molecular genetic analysis of the role of the serotonin transporter gene.
- Author
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Jang KL, Hu S, Livesley WJ, Angleitner A, Riemann R, Ando J, Ono Y, Vernon PA, and Hamer DH
- Subjects
- Adult, Analysis of Variance, Canada, Carrier Proteins genetics, Female, Genetics, Behavioral methods, Germany, Humans, Japan, Male, Membrane Glycoproteins genetics, Nuclear Family psychology, Personality physiology, Principal Component Analysis, Serotonin genetics, Serotonin physiology, Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins, Twins, Dizygotic genetics, Twins, Dizygotic psychology, Twins, Monozygotic genetics, Twins, Monozygotic psychology, United States, Carrier Proteins physiology, Emotions physiology, Membrane Glycoproteins physiology, Membrane Transport Proteins, Nerve Tissue Proteins, Personality genetics, Personality Inventory statistics & numerical data, Twins genetics, Twins psychology
- Abstract
The Revised NEO Personality Inventory domains of Neuroticism and Agreeableness are considered factorially distinct despite several intercorrelations between these domains. The genetic correlation, an index of the degree to which these intercorrelations are caused by genetic influences, was estimated using data from 913 monozygotic and 562 dizygotic volunteer twin pairs from Canada, Germany, and Japan. The serotonin transporter gene, 5-HTTLPR, was assayed in a sample of 388 nontwin sibling pairs from the United States to determine the contribution of the serotonin transporter locus to the covariation between the Neuroticism and Agreeableness scales. In all four samples, genetic influences contributed to the covariance of Neuroticism and Agreeableness, with the serotonin transporter gene accounting for 10% of the relationship between these domains.
- Published
- 2001
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