Khaberni - Scientists identified 11 genetic regions associated with the preference for immediate rewards over larger future rewards, showing that individuals with a genetic predisposition for impatience are associated with 212 different medical conditions.
These conditions include addiction, obesity, heart disease, and chronic pain, noting that environmental factors play a much larger role than genes in the speed of patience depletion.
According to "Study Finds," the genetic relationship is not simple: while impatience is associated with conditions like Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), depression, and smoking, the opposite pattern is observed in disorders such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), anorexia, and schizophrenia, where people genetically prefer to wait for bigger rewards.
By examining and analyzing data from nearly 135,000 people, a research team from the University of California identified 11 sites in human DNA associated with the trait of rapid impatience, also known as "time discounting."
Genetics not willpower
The results reveal that impatience is not just a personality trait or a matter of willpower but is genetic and has biological roots that appear in many areas of mental and physical health.
Researchers asked participants to complete a basic survey that included 27 different financial options.
Individuals who consistently choose small immediate rewards over larger future rewards exhibited "greater discounting."
Risk genes and body weight
The team identified several genetic regions associated with this behavior, where genes cluster in areas already known for their impact on risk-taking, intelligence, body weight, and psychiatric conditions.
Common genetic variants represent about 10% of the variance in how people value immediate rewards versus deferred rewards.
While environmental factors play a major role, this genetic component remains constant throughout a person's life.
Genes shape the "now or later" decision
One key finding relates to chromosome 6, where a genetic variant lies between two genes previously associated with risk-taking, smoking, alcohol use, bipolar disorder, and body weight.
Another contact point on chromosome 16 includes 18 genes affecting brain development, intelligence, and eating behaviors. Disorders in this region have been linked to autism, ADHD, schizophrenia, and obesity.
The role of intelligence and education
Intelligence and education showed the strongest genetic overlap with significant discounts. However, when researchers mathematically excluded these factors, 19 associations remained, including those with smoking, body weight, brain communication patterns, digestive system disorders, and chronic pain.
Some genetic influences on impatience persist even after accounting for intelligence and education.
