title: A common heritable factor influences prosocial obligations across multiple domains.
abstract: Although it has been shown that prosocial behaviour is heritable, it has not yet been established whether narrower aspects of prosociality are heritable, nor whether a common mechanism influences prosociality across its multiple domains. Here, we examine civic duty, work-place commitment and concern for the welfare of others with a study of prosocial obligations in 958 adult twin-pairs. Multivariate modelling indicated the existence of genetic factors underlying general prosocial obligations in females, with familial effects (genetic and shared-environment effects were indistinguishable) influencing this general mechanism in males. At the domain-specific level, modest genetic effects were observed in females for civic and work obligations, with shared-environment effects influencing welfare obligations. In males, genetic influences were observed for welfare obligation, with unique environments affecting work and civic duty.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK. glewis1@gmail.com
authors.forename: Gary J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Timothy C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Bates
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012919:Social Behavior; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic / Q000523:psychology*; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000523:psychology*