As a species, humans like to think that we are fully in control of our decisions and behavior. But just below the surface, forces beyond our conscious control influence how we think and behave: our genes.
Since the 1950s, scientists have been studying the influences genes have on human health. This has led medical professionals, researchers and policymakers to advocate for the use of precision medicine to personalize diagnosis and treatment of diseases, leading to quicker improvements to patient well-being.
But the influence of genes on psychology has been overlooked.
My research addresses how genes influence human psychology and behavior. Here are some specific ways psychologists can use genetic conflict theory to better understand human behavior – and potentially advance the treatment of psychological issues.
What do genes have to do with it?
Genetic conflict theory proposes that though our genes blend together to make us who we are, they retain markers indicating whether they came from mom or dad. These markers cause the genes to either cooperate or fight with one another as we grow and develop. Research in genetic conflict primarily focuses on pregnancy, since this is one of the few times in human development when the influence of different sets of genes can be clearly observed in one individual.
Typically, maternal and paternal genes have different ideal strategies for growth and development. While genes from mom and dad ultimately find ways to cooperate with one another that result in normal growth and development, these genes benefit by nudging fetal development to be slightly more in line with what’s optimal for the parent they come from. Genes from mom try to keep mom healthy and with enough resources left for another pregnancy, while genes from dad benefit from the fetus taking all of mom’s resources for itself.
When genes are not able to compromise, however, this can result in undesirable outcomes such as physical and mental deficits for the baby or even miscarriage.
Some scientists theorize that genes operate in their own self-interest.
While genetic conflict is a normal occurrence, its influence has largely been overlooked in psychology. One reason is because researchers assume that genetic cooperation is necessary for the health and well-being of the individual. Another reason is because most human traits are controlled by many genes. For example, height is determined by a combination of 10,000 genetic variants, and skin color is determined by more than 150 genes.
The complex nature of psychology and behavior makes it hard to pinpoint the unique influence of a single gene, let alone which parent it came from. Take, for example, depression. Not only is the likelihood of developing depression influenced by 200 different genes, it is also affected by environmental inputs such as childhood maltreatment and stressful life events. Researchers…
