A gene-environment interaction model of social trust: The 5-HTTLPR S-allele prevalence as a moderator for the democracy-trust linkage

Adopting a gene-environment interaction view, the current research investigated the 5-HTTLPR S-allele prevalence as a moderator for the linkage between democracy and social trust at the societal level. The empirical analysis of 58 societies reveals that the interaction of democracy and the 5-HTTLPR S-allele prevalence is negatively related to social trust, even when a climatoeconomic (climatic demands × wealth) model of social trust is accounted for. The positive relationship between democracy and social trust exists only in societies with a lower level of the 5-HTTLPR S-allele prevalence and is absent in societies with a higher level of the 5-HTTLPR S-allele prevalence. The current findings not only provide important implications for research on social trust across cultures but also add to the emerging literature on gene-environment interactions.