Can genes play a role in explaining frequent job changes? An examination of gene-environment interaction from human capital theory.
作者利用美国全国代表性样本，考察了多巴胺基因标记DRD4 7重复等位基因如何与早期生活环境（家庭社会经济地位、邻里贫困）相互作用，影响成年后的工作变动频率。研究发现，多巴胺基因在早期环境与后期工作变动行为之间起调节作用，且该作用通过教育成就中介。具体而言，家庭社会经济地位越高，教育成就越高，进而自愿工作变动频率越高、非自愿变动频率越低；这种关系在携带更多DRD4 7R等位基因的个体中更强。相反，邻里贫困程度越高，教育成就越低，进而自愿工作变动频率越低、非自愿变动频率越高；这种关系同样在携带更多DRD4 7R等位基因的个体中更强。结果表明，结合DNA信息的分子遗传学与早期环境因素，能为理解个体早期职业发展中的工作变动频率提供新见解。
This study examined how a dopamine genetic marker, DRD4 7 Repeat allele, interacted with early life environmental factors (i.e., family socioeconomic status, and neighborhood poverty) to influence job change frequency in adulthood using a national representative sample from the United States. The dopamine gene played a moderating role in the relationship between early life environments and later job change behaviors, which was meditated through educational achievement. In particular, higher family socioeconomic status was associated with higher educational achievement, and thereafter higher frequency of voluntary job changes and lower frequency of involuntary job changes; such relationships were stronger (i.e., more positive or negative) for individuals with more DRD4 7R alleles. In contrast, higher neighborhood poverty was associated with lower educational achievement, and thereafter lower frequency of voluntary job change and higher frequency of involuntary job change; such relationships were again stronger (i.e., more positive or negative) for individuals with more DRD4 7R alleles. The results demonstrated that molecular genetics using DNA information, along with early life environmental factors, can bring new insights to enhance our understanding of job change frequency in individuals' early career development. (PsycINFO Database Record