Social Implications of Genetic Attribution

Abstract

An emerging area of interest within genetics and social science is the study of how genetic information is perceived and utilized in different societal contexts. The increasing tendency to view human differences in health and behaviors through genetics, a phenomenon termed geneticization, raises concerns about the potential for genetic information to reinforce social biases. Using epilepsy as the medical condition of focus, we employ a vignette-based research design to examine how genetic versus non-genetic attributions of causation in neurological disease influences participants' reported assumptions about socioeconomic health outcomes and as well as expectations that might stigmatize those affected. We recruited 59 undergraduate students at two college campuses to complete the survey and analyzed their responses. We found that individuals presented with a genetic attribution to neurological disease reported distinct predictive perspectives on various aspects of health and social outcomes compared to individuals presented with a non-genetic attribution to neurological disease, and that genetic attribution may elicit a positive effect within certain social domains such as collegiate success. This study contributes to the broader discourse on the implications of geneticization, highlighting potential societal consequences of the framing of genetic information in medical and social contexts.