Religiousness, antisocial behavior, and altruism: genetic and environmental mediation.

Full Abstract

Although religiousness is considered a protective factor against antisocial behaviors and a positive influence on prosocial behaviors, it remains unclear whether these associations are primarily genetically or environmentally mediated. In order to investigate this question, religiousness, antisocial behavior, and altruistic behavior were assessed by self-report in a sample of adult male twins (165 MZ and 100 DZ full pairs, mean age of 33 years). Religiousness, both retrospective and current, was shown to be modestly negatively correlated with antisocial behavior and modestly positively correlated with altruistic behavior. Joint biometric analyses of religiousness and antisocial behavior or altruistic behavior were completed. The relationship between religiousness and antisocial behavior was due to both genetic and shared environmental effects. Altruistic behavior also shared most all of its genetic influence, but only half of its shared environmental influence, with religiousness.

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Author information

Author/s: Koenig, Laura B (LB); McGue, Matt (M); Krueger, Robert F (RF); Bouchard, Thomas J (TJ);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, USA. koen0099(-atsign-)umn.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Twin Study

Journal: Journal of personality (J Pers), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Apr; vol 75 (issue 2) : pp 265-90

Dates: Created 2007/03/15; Completed 2007/05/16;

PMID: 17359239, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Altruism
Antisocial Personality Disorder - genetics; psychology
Confidence Intervals
Female
Genetic Counseling - methods
Humans
Life Style
Male

Male
Models, Psychological
Negotiating - methods
Questionnaires
Religion and Psychology
Social Environment
Twins - genetics; psychology
Twins, Dizygotic - genetics
Twins, Monozygotic - genetics

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