A new study shows that selfless and social behavior is not a product of religious environment. After studying the behavior of adult twins, researchers found that, while altruistic behavior and religiousness tend to appear together, the correlation is due to both environmental and genetic factors. The Journal of Personality, via Blackwell Publishing, reports that the popular idea that religious individuals are more social and giving because of behavioral mandates set for them is incorrect. According to study author Laura Koenig, religiousness occurs beside altruistic behaviors because there are genes that predispose them to it. “There is, of course, no specific gene for religiousness, but individuals do have biological predispositions to behave in certain ways,” says Koenig. —Julia Whitty
