Communicating behavioral genetics : Charting the limits of the genetic interpolation effect

Scientific research has linked genetic predispositions to complex Background social behaviors and orientations. Recent empirical work in science communication suggests that the dissemination of these research findings can impact on public beliefs about the influence of genetics. The genetic interpolation hypothesis posits that exposure to this type of news causes the public to update their views about the influence of genetics on human beings and to infer greater genetic causation for other social traits that are not mentioned in the news content. The main purpose of this study is to test whether the genetic interpolation effect also emerges following exposure to a soft treatment: a short summary paragraph rather than a real news article. It also tests if specifying that a particular gene has a marginal effect succeeds at moderating the genetic interpolation effect. Finally, the study tests a counter-hypothesis: instead of resulting from belief updating, the genetic interpolation effect is triggered by the simple act of thinking about genetics shortly before reporting beliefs. In total, 2080 respondents were Methods: recruited from a pre-existing online panel and were randomly split into four experimental groups: group 1) no message; group 2) a paragraph about how genes can impact on voting behavior; group 3) the same paragraph as group 2, plus an indication that the effect of a particular gene is small; group 4) a paragraph about how genetics impact on physical traits such as eye color. Subjects were then asked to evaluate the role of genetics in causing three traits: voting at election; intelligence; and natural hair style (curly or straight). The analyses reveal no evidence supporting the genetic interpolation Results: hypothesis, the moderation hypothesis or the counter-hypothesis. Conclusion: Overall, the results suggest that exposure to a paragraph describing how genes can impact on complex social behavior is not sufficient to trigger the genetic interpolation effect. Referee Status: