Is Problem Gambling Genetic?: 2
The Northwestern study on the DNA mechanisms that make people more likely to
have a gambling problem revealed very interesting results. The study made some
very interesting links that had never before been made. There was a link found
between two genes that can vary from person to person. Their primary purpose is
to regulate dopamine and serotonin neurotransmission, but now those two gene
variants may be what makes someone more likely to take a risk in a financial
investment, like playing at an online casino. Playing at online casinos seems
relatively harmless, so how does this affect the recreational player? The
players that higher levels on those two genes showed that they invested in their
online casino wager significantly more than those who did not.
Those same players invested less of their money when the risk was lower and was
considered more of a safer bet. This caused the researchers to come to the
conclusion, that players who have more money also risk more money than the other
players. The original purpose of this study was to study the mind of the
financiers and their ability to take such great financial risks but it turned
out that it proved some things about online casino players. The study was
conducted with a sample of Northwestern students who were told to take an amount
of real money to make their own investments and their DNA and choices were
studied without informing the student what the study was about. The professors
in charge were able to use their neuroscience technology and marry it with
psychology. Camelia M Kuhnen who is the assistant professor of finance and Joan
Y. Chiao who is the assistant professor of psychology were the co investigators
of this study.