Role of the serotonin transporter gene in temperament and character

Abstract

The biosocial model postulates that personality is comprised of two broad domains: temperament, which is largely due to inherited variations in specific monoamine neurotransmitter systems; and character, which arises from socioculturally learned differences in values, goals, and self-concepts and is the strongest predictor of personality disorders. The model also proposes that serotonin modulates the temperament trait of harm avoidance. We analyzed the association of temperament and character traits with the 5-HTTLPR, an inherited variation that modulates serotonin transporter gene expression, in 634 volunteer subjects. Contrary to theory, the 5-HTTLPR was most strongly associated with the character traits of cooperativeness and self-directedness. Associations with the temperament traits of reward dependence and harm avoidance were weaker and could be attributable largely to cross-correlations with the character traits and demographic variables. Psychometric analysis indicated that the serotonin transporter influences two broad areas of personality, negative affect and social disaffiliation, that are consistent across inventories but are more concisely described by the 5-factor model of personality than by the biosocial model. These results suggest that there is no fundamental mechanistic distinction between character and temperament in regard to the serotonin transporter gene, and that a single neurotransmitter can influence multiple personality traits.