Your ability to trust is partly based on your genes

Trust, the cornerstone of human interactions, has a significant genetic component, recent Australian research suggests. Indeed, about 33% of the variation in trust among individuals can be attributed to our genes, reveals a study utilizing data from twins and a meta-analysis of previous studies on the heritability of trust.


Successful relationships, economic transactions, and social cohesion all depend on trust. Without it, companies go bankrupt, political parties fail, and conflicts erupt, both on a personal and international level, leading to broken hearts and lost lives.

Conducted by Dr. Nathan Kettlewell of the University of Technology Sydney and Professor Agnieszka Tymula of the University of Sydney, the study "Heritability across different domains of trust" recently published in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization shows that trust is a complex trait that can be measured in various ways, including through twin studies.

Twin studies, a powerful tool for disentangling genetic and environmental influences on complex traits, reveal that while genetic factors contribute to about 33% of the observed variation in trust among individuals, life circumstances such as age, health, and marital status also increase trust. The study involved 1,120 twins and examined levels of trust using survey data and a trust game where participants had to share money with another person.

However, trust is a complex and domain-variable trait. While some individuals may have high trust in their social relationships, they may have lower trust in political institutions.

Genetics is not the only factor influencing trust. Environmental factors such as education, cultural norms, and life experiences also interact with genetic predispositions to influence an individual's trust. In the end, while our genes may play a role in our propensity to trust, it is essential to understand that trust is a complex trait, influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.