Investors, gamblers and thrill-seekers, have you ever wondered why you act the way you do during competitive activities? It might just be in your genes.
Delving Deep into the Human Brain
When we think of betting or any competitive games, we often visualise a strategic mind at play. However, a study from the University of California, Berkeley, has revealed that there’s more to this game than just strategic thinking. Two primary areas of the brain, namely the medial prefrontal cortex and the striatum, become particularly engaged during such activities. Interestingly, it’s the genetic variants associated with dopamine regulation in these regions that influence our betting behaviours.
Dopamine: The Driving Force Behind Strategic Behaviour
Dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for transmitting signals in the brain, plays a pivotal role in our pleasure-seeking and reward system. It’s this chemical that gets our heart racing when we’re about to make a bet, hoping for a win. The disruption of the dopamine network has been linked to various psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, including schizophrenia and depression.
While dopamine’s role in social interactions has been well-documented, UC Berkeley’s study is a trailblazer in linking these interactions with specific genes governing dopamine functionality. As Professor Ming Hsu, the study’s leader, noted, “We now have some clues about the neural mechanisms through which our genes affect behaviour.”
Betting, Brain Activity, and Dopamine: The Intricate Web
Earlier research by Hsu highlighted that during competitive social interactions, like betting games, there’s significant activity in both the medial prefrontal cortex and the striatum. If we were to imagine the brain as a computer, these areas would be responsible for processing inputs and translating them into behavioural outputs. The intrigue lies in the fact that these brain areas are both connected by dopamine-releasing neurons.
The researchers, eager to explore which genes affected strategic thinking, analysed genetic variants from 217 undergraduates. They concentrated on 143 variants within 12 genes involved in dopamine regulation. These genes, interestingly, had a connection with the best betting odds in South Africa and other parts of the world, further emphasising their impact.
The competition set for the participants was the ‘patent race’, a computerised game that pits one player against an anonymous opponent. Through this, two distinct types of learning processes were identified: reinforcement learning, where individuals learn from the outcomes of their actions, and belief learning, which involves creating a mental model of the opponent’s potential moves.
The Genetic Correlation with Learning Types
Hsu and his team discovered a fascinating genetic pattern. Variations in belief learning were linked to three genes affecting dopamine in the medial prefrontal cortex. On the other hand, variations in trial-and-error reinforcement learning correlated with two genes influencing striatal dopamine.
These revelations are consistent with past studies. The prefrontal cortex has always been known to play a role in belief learning, while the striatum was identified with reinforcement learning.
Hsu emphasised the significance of studying neural and genetic levels under a comprehensive mathematical framework, shedding light on the behavioural intricacies of the human brain.
Conclusion: The Road Ahead
With such groundbreaking discoveries, the scope for understanding human behaviour in strategic settings like betting broadens. Such insights not only impact the business world but also enhance our comprehension of disorders linked with dopamine, such as schizophrenia.
Furthermore, ongoing collaborations aim to associate career achievements in older adults with genetic variants, offering a deeper understanding of which brain regions and learning types contribute to various life successes.
In the grand scheme, understanding the genetic blueprint of our betting behaviour could redefine our approach to competitive activities, mental health, and strategic learning.
