在面对投资风险时,什么样的人可以做出更好的决策?一项新研究显示,拥有“勇士基因”的人在投资游戏中往往表现得有勇有谋,他们得到的游戏分数常常好于其他人。
美国加州理工学院等机构的研究人员在新一期英国《皇家学会学报B》(Proceedings of the Royal Society B)上报告说,他们邀请了83名年轻男子参与投资游戏,并为每人分配了一笔“启动资金”。在游戏的第一部分,受试者可以选择既无收益也无损失的安全选项,也可以选择50%几率赚钱或赔钱的风险选项。
此前的检测已经确认,上述部分受试者的单胺氧化酶A基因(MAOA)位点上有L型变种,另外一些受试者的该基因位点上有H型变种。游戏结果显示,与MAOA基因H型变种者相比,L型变种的人更容易选择有风险的选项。这与以前的一些研究结果一致,由于拥有MAOA基因L型变种的人更愿意冒险,因此该基因被一些研究者称为“勇士基因”。
在游戏的第二部分,设计者进行了调整,列出了风险和获利程度都不同的多个选项,从而存在从游戏中获利的最优策略。结果发现,那些拥有“勇士基因”的人不仅愿意冒险,而且最终获得的“投资”结果也更好。
研究人员卡里·弗里德曼说,有“勇士基因”的人更倾向冒险,对此过去常简单地解释为该基因使头脑容易冲动,但本次研究说明,有“勇士基因”的人在面临风险时往往能有勇有谋地做出更好的抉择。(生物谷Bioon.com)
生物谷推荐原文出处:
Proc. R. Soc. B doi: 10.1098/rspb.2010.2304
MAOA-L carriers are better at making optimal financial decisions under risk
Cary Frydman1, Colin Camerer1,2, Peter Bossaerts1,2,3 and Antonio Rangel1,2,*
Abstract
Genes can affect behaviour towards risks through at least two distinct neurocomputational mechanisms: they may affect the value assigned to different risky options, or they may affect the way in which the brain adjudicates between options based on their value. We combined methods from neuroeconomics and behavioural genetics to investigate the impact that the genes encoding for monoamine oxidase-A (MAOA), the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) and the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) have on these two computations. Consistent with previous literature, we found that carriers of the MAOA-L polymorphism were more likely to take financial risks. Our computational choice model, rooted in established decision theory, showed that MAOA-L carriers exhibited such behaviour because they are able to make better financial decisions under risk, and not because they are more impulsive. In contrast, we found no behavioural or computational differences among the 5-HTT and DRD4 polymorphisms.