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Monoamine Oxidase A Gene (MAOA) Associated with Attitude Towards Longshot Risks

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  • Songfa Zhong
  • Salomon Israel
  • Hong Xue
  • Richard P Ebstein
  • Soo Hong Chew

Abstract

Decision making often entails longshot risks involving a small chance of receiving a substantial outcome. People tend to be risk preferring (averse) when facing longshot risks involving significant gains (losses). This differentiation towards longshot risks underpins the markets for lottery as well as for insurance. Both lottery and insurance have emerged since ancient times and continue to play a useful role in the modern economy. In this study, we observe subjects' incentivized choices in a controlled laboratory setting, and investigate their association with a widely studied, promoter-region repeat functional polymorphism in monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA). We find that subjects with the high activity (4-repeat) allele are characterized by a preference for the longshot lottery and also less insurance purchasing than subjects with the low activity (3-repeat) allele. This is the first result to link attitude towards longshot risks to a specific gene. It complements recent findings on the neurobiological basis of economic risk taking.

Suggested Citation

  • Songfa Zhong & Salomon Israel & Hong Xue & Richard P Ebstein & Soo Hong Chew, 2009. "Monoamine Oxidase A Gene (MAOA) Associated with Attitude Towards Longshot Risks," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 4(12), pages 1-4, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0008516
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008516
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    1. De Neve, Jan-Emmanuel & Fowler, James H., 2014. "Credit card borrowing and the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 107(PB), pages 428-439.
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    3. Songfa Zhong & Salomon Israel & Idan Shalev & Hong Xue & Richard P Ebstein & Soo Hong Chew, 2010. "Dopamine D4 Receptor Gene Associated with Fairness Preference in Ultimatum Game," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 5(11), pages 1-8, November.
    4. Wernerfelt, Nils Christian & Rand, David Gertler & Lum, J. Koji & Zeckhauser, Richard Jay & Dreber, Anna & Garcia, Justin, 2011. "The Dopamine Receptor D4 Gene (DRD4) and Self-Reported Risk Taking in the Economic Domain," Scholarly Articles 5347066, Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
    5. Da Silva, Sergio & Baldo, Dinora & Matsushita, Raul, 2011. "Biological correlates of the Allais paradox - updated," MPRA Paper 32747, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Andra C. Ghent & Marianna Kudlyak, 2015. "Intergenerational Linkages in Household Credit," Working Paper 15-14, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
    7. Levy, Moshe, 2015. "An evolutionary explanation for risk aversion," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 51-61.
    8. Henrik Cronqvist & Florian Münkel & Stephan Siegel, 2014. "Genetics, Homeownership, and Home Location Choice," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 79-111, January.
    9. Jonas Fooken & Markus Schaffner, 2013. "The role of psychological and physiological factors in decision making under risk and in a dilemma," QuBE Working Papers 010, QUT Business School.
    10. Moshe Levy, 2022. "An evolutionary explanation of the Allais paradox," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 32(5), pages 1545-1574, November.
    11. Herold, Florian & Netzer, Nick, 2023. "Second-best probability weighting," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 112-125.
    12. Barnea, Amir & Cronqvist, Henrik & Siegel, Stephan, 2010. "Nature or nurture: What determines investor behavior?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(3), pages 583-604, December.
    13. Francisco Molins & Fatmanur Sahin & Miguel Ángel Serrano, 2022. "The Genetics of Risk Aversion: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-22, November.
    14. Steven F. Lehrer & Weili Ding, 2017. "Are genetic markers of interest for economic research?," IZA Journal of Labor Policy, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 6(1), pages 1-23, December.
    15. Vanessa Mertins & Andrea B Schote & Wolfgang Hoffeld & Michele Griessmair & Jobst Meyer, 2011. "Genetic Susceptibility for Individual Cooperation Preferences: The Role of Monoamine Oxidase A Gene (MAOA) in the Voluntary Provision of Public Goods," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(6), pages 1-9, June.
    16. Beaudreau, Bernard C., 2012. "A humanistic theory of economic behavior," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 222-234.
    17. Soo Chew & Richard Ebstein & Songfa Zhong, 2012. "Ambiguity aversion and familiarity bias: Evidence from behavioral and gene association studies," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 1-18, February.
    18. Chew, Soo Hong & Ebstein, Richard P. & Zhong, Songfa, 2013. "Sex-hormone genes and gender difference in ultimatum game: Experimental evidence from China and Israel," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 28-42.
    19. Steve Sapra & Laura E Beavin & Paul J Zak, 2012. "A Combination of Dopamine Genes Predicts Success by Professional Wall Street Traders," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(1), pages 1-7, January.
    20. Cronqvist, Henrik & Siegel, Stephan & Yu, Frank, 2015. "Value versus growth investing: Why do different investors have different styles?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(2), pages 333-349.
    21. Sezen GÜNGÖR, 2019. "Genes Involved in both Dopaminergic and Serotonergic Pathways and Financial Decision Making," Prizren Social Science Journal, SHIKS, vol. 3(2), pages 21-26, August.
    22. Jonathan P. Beauchamp & David Cesarini & Magnus Johannesson & Matthijs J. H. M. van der Loos & Philipp D. Koellinger & Patrick J. F. Groenen & James H. Fowler & J. Niels Rosenquist & A. Roy Thurik & N, 2011. "Molecular Genetics and Economics," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 25(4), pages 57-82, Fall.

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