NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute (EAPSI) for FY 2013 in Singapore

Mrazek Alissa J, Evanston IL

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds Alissa Mrazek of Northwestern University to conduct a research project in the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences area during the summer of 2013 at the Multicultural Identity and Processes Lab at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. The project title is "The Role of the Serotonin Transporter Gene and Cultural Tightness-Looseness in Social Perception and Cooperation." The host scientist is Dr. Ying Yi Hong. The objective of this research is to examine how individual variability in genes that regulate affective processing may interact with one's cultural environment to facilitate or hinder cooperation with ingroup and outgroup members. Specifically, we study how tightness-looseness (TL)--a cultural dimension measuring the strength of social norms and tolerance of deviance--and the serotonin transporter gene influence interpersonal cooperation. Due to the influence of TL on norm abidance and outgroup perceptions, the role of the serotonin transporter gene on threat sensitivity, and research showing that TL and the serotonin transporter gene have evolved in tandem across geography, investigating the dual influence of these factors on a risky undertaking, such as cooperation with outgroup members, sheds light on the complexities that underlie prosocial behavior. Specific to this project, the majority of peer-reviewed studies examining neural and genetic variation come from Western, industrialized nations and do not acknowledge the influence of cultural values on the relation between human brain function and behavior (Chiao, 2009). Hence, the present research aims to address the external validity of both psychological intergroup processes and behavioral genetic paradigms. Additionally, Singaporeans are an underrepresented population in research, so this project will broaden participation in science while illuminating an unexplored gene-environment interaction in two distinct cultures: the United States and Singapore. Broader impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce. Furthermore, another primary goal of this research is to equip the Fellow with a deeper understanding of the factors that influence prosociality to aid in the preparation of a nuanced intervention-training program to cultivate cooperation. Finally, this research has the potential to be an intellectual bridge between scientific advancement in the Social, Affective, Cultural Neuroscience Lab at Northwestern University and the Multicultural Identity and Processes Lab the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Both of these labs value the dual influence of biology and culture on interpersonal behavior, and this advantageous collaboration will foster future cross-cultural work in the fields of behavioral genetics, social psychology, and cultural neuroscience.