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. 2013 Sep 1;55(5):469-473.
doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2013.04.009.

Individual differences in positivity offset and negativity bias: Gender-specific associations with two serotonin receptor genes

Rebecca L Ashare  1 , Catherine J Norris, E Paul Wileyto, John T Cacioppo, Andrew A Strasser
Affiliations

Individual differences in positivity offset and negativity bias: Gender-specific associations with two serotonin receptor genes

Rebecca L Ashare et al. Pers Individ Dif. .

Abstract

Individual differences in the evaluation of affective stimuli, such as the positivity offset and negativity bias may have a biological basis. We tested whether two SNPs (HTR2A; 102T>C and HTR1A; 1019C>G) related to serotonin receptor function, a biological pathway associated with affective regulation, were differentially related to positivity offset and negativity bias for males and females. Participants were 109 cigarette smokers who rated a series of affective stimuli to assess reactions to positive and negative pictures. Gender × genotype interactions were found for both SNPs. Males with the 102T allele showed a greater positivity offset than males with the 102C allele. For females, in contrast, the 1019C allele was associated with a greater positivity offset than the 1019G allele, whereas the 102T allele was associated with a greater negativity bias than the 102C allele. Identifying how gender differences may moderate the effect of serotonin receptor genes on affective information processing may provide insight into their role in guiding behavior and regulating affect.

Keywords: Affect regulation; Cognitive Processes; Gender; Negativity bias; Positivity bias; Serotonin receptor gene.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Negativity bias for each sex by genotype group for 102T>C.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Positivity offset for each sex by genotype group for 102T>C (panel a; left) and 1019C>G (panel b; right).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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