A mechanistic explanation of popularity: Genes, rule breaking, and evocative gene–environment correlations.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 97(1) of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (see record 2009-08950-010). Due to a production error, an incorrect version of the article was printed. To see the complete, corrected article, please go to http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0013702.] Previous work has suggested that the serotonergic system plays a key role in “popularity” or likeability. A polymorphism within the 5HT2A serotonin receptor gene (?G1438A) has also been associated with popularity, suggesting that genes may predispose individuals to particular social experiences. However, because genes cannot code directly for others' reactions, any legitimate association should be mediated via the individual's behavior (i.e., genes→behaviors→social consequences), a phenomenon referred to as an evocative gene–environment correlation (rGE). The current study aimed to identify one such mediating behavior. The author focused on rule breaking given its prior links to both the serotonergic system and to increased popularity during adolescence. Two samples of previously unacquainted late-adolescent boys completed a peer-based interaction paradigm designed to assess their popularity. Analyses revealed that rule breaking partially mediated the genetic effect on popularity, thereby furthering our understanding of the biological mechanisms that underlie popularity. Moreover, the present results represent the first meaningfully explicated evidence that genes predispose individuals not only to particular behaviors but also to the social consequences of those behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)