Dopamine D4 receptor gene variation influences self-reported altruism

Abstract

Recent evidence suggests the implication of dopamine function in altruistic behaviors. For self-reported altruism, an association between the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4) exon III polymorphism has been reported, but there have been no replication studies so far. In the present study, we provide such a replication by showing in two samples – one student sample and one drawn from the general population – that the DRD4 7-repeat allele is associated with lower scores on the NEO-PI-R Altruism facet scale, accounting for about 2% of the variance. As the DRD4 7-repeat allele has been associated with higher scores in impulsive personality traits and ADHD, our result suggests that individual differences in impulsive behavioral tendencies may play a role in the propensity to behave altruistically. Based on this assumption, the present result will be discussed within the context of a possible broader role of dopamine in altruistic behavior.