A Drink Just Sounded Good

Researchers from The Netherlands' Behavioral Science Institute report that people with the seven-repeat allele version of dopamine D4 receptor gene were more likely to mimic the drinking habits of others, reports LiveScience. DRD4 "has previously been associated with novelty-seeking behavior and dependence on feel-good rewards," the article adds. The study, published in Psychological Science, found that study participants' drink consumption was affected by how much the confederate in the study drank and the gene variant. "When the confederate was seen consuming three or four drinks, carriers of the 7-repeat form of the gene drank more than twice as many glasses of alcohol than did noncarriers of the gene variant," according to a press release from Psychological Science.