Gene-Culture Interactions : Toward an Explanatory Framework

Examining the interconnections between genes and culture is crucial for a more complete understanding of psychological processes.

Genetic predispositions may predict different outcomes depending on one's cultural context, and culture may predict different outcomes depending on genetic predispositions - that is, genes and culture interact.

Less is understood, however, about how genes and culture interact, or the psychological mechanisms through which gene-culture interactions occur.

In this Element, Heewon Kwon and Joni Y. Sasaki review key findings and theories in gene-culture interaction research.

They then go on to discuss current issues and future directions in gene-culture research that may illuminate the path toward an explanatory framework.