Hasta La Gadget!

Prone to one-night stands? Blame your parents. Or, more precisely, blame your genes. A new study published on November 30th has linked dopamine receptor DRD4 to infidelity. The gene is a doozy–it’s also been linked to alcoholism and gambling–also, according to Fox News, the love of horror movies and liberalism are also linked to the gene (no, the study wasn’t published by Karl Rove).

Postdoctoral fellow Justin Garcia said of the study in a recent press statement,

What we found was that individuals with a certain variant of the DRD4 gene were more likely to have a history of uncommitted sex, including one-night stands and acts of infidelity.

The motivation seems to stem from a system of pleasure and reward, which is where the release of dopamine comes in. In cases of uncommitted sex, the risks are high, the rewards substantial and the motivation variable–all elements that ensure a dopamine rush.

According to the study, those with the gene are twice as likely to have a history of one-night stands.