Emerging research suggests that some people may be genetically endowed to be nice.
…
The study, published in the journalPsychological Science, examines the behavior of subjects who have versions of receptor genes for two hormones that, in laboratory and close relationship research, are associated with niceness.
Previous laboratory studies have linked the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin to the way we treat one another, says Michel Poulin, PhD, the principal author of the study.
Psychologists believe the hormones make us nicer people, at least in close relationships. Oxytocin promotes maternal behavior, for example, and in the lab, subjects exposed to the hormone demonstrate greater sociability.
By RICK NAUERT PHD Senior News Editor
PsychCentral
