People who are more present in the moment tend to be happier and more satisfied with life, and part of this connection is attributable to the genes they were born with, according to new research published in Scientific Reports. The new findings shed light on how our genetic makeup and personal experiences intertwine to influence our ability to live in the moment and our overall happiness.
Previous research has consistently highlighted that individuals who have a heightened awareness of the current moment — referred to as “presence” — tend to experience greater satisfaction with life and a more positive emotional state overall. This phenomenon has been supported by various theories and evidence, including those from flow and mindfulness theories.
However, the underlying reasons for this relationship remained elusive, prompting researchers to investigate the genetic and environmental underpinnings of presence and its connection to subjective well-being.
“I and many others have had long-standing interest in how mindfulness, of which present moment attention (‘presence’) is a major component, develops under usual circumstances (that is, outside of formal training),” explained study author Kirk Warren Brown, a research faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University.
“Is it socialization from parents, teachers, etc or something else? I’ve also been keen to know why presence is associated with subjective well-being (positive emotions and life satisfaction). In this study, we address both of these questions: We found that, to a degree, the capacity to be present is genetically based, and in part the reason why presence and well-being are often associated is because they share a genetic origin.”
To conduct their investigation, the researchers turned to the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS), which includes data from over 10,000 twin pairs born in England and Wales. They focused on a cohort of twins born between 1994 and 1996, with data collected in 2011 when the participants were around 16 years old.
The sample for this particular analysis included 1,136 monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs, offering a mix of identical twins, who share 100% of their genetic material, and fraternal twins, who share about 50%, on average. This genetic differentiation is crucial for disentangling the contributions of genetics versus environment to any observed traits or behaviors.
Presence, or present-centered attention, was assessed using a brief, validated version of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), focusing on participants’ attentiveness to current events and experiences. Subjective well-being was measured through the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) and the Brief Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS), which together capture an individual’s perceived happiness and satisfaction across various domains of life.
In line with previous findings, the researchers discovered a modest yet significant positive correlation between presence and subjective well-being. This indicates that adolescents who reported higher levels of presence also reported higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction.
Both presence and subjective well-being were significantly influenced by genetic factors. The twin analyses showed that the correlations for presence, happiness, and life satisfaction were higher among monozygotic twins compared to dizygotic twins, pointing to a substantial genetic contribution. Specifically, the genetic influences accounted for 34% of the variance in presence, 42% for happiness, and a notable 57% for life satisfaction.
“Many, if not all, psychological traits and dispositions have a genetic basis,” Brown noted.
Importantly, Brown and his colleagues found substantial genetic overlap between presence and life satisfaction. This suggests that the same genetic factors influencing our ability to remain focused on the present also contribute to our overall satisfaction with life. The genetic correlation between presence and happiness was somewhat lower, indicating that while presence and happiness share genetic influences, the relationship is not as strong as that with life satisfaction.
“We knew going into the study that present moment attention and mental health variables like depression were genetically linked,” Brown told PsyPost. “So we predicted that presence and subjective well-being would be as well.”
Nonshared environmental factors also played an important role in the observed levels of presence and subjective well-being. Nonshared environmental influences encompass experiences unique to each individual that are not shared with siblings, including different friends, teachers, or extracurricular activities. These factors accounted for the remainder of the variance in presence, happiness, and life satisfaction.
There was limited evidence for the role of shared environmental factors, which include aspects of the environment shared by twins, such as socioeconomic status or parental parenting style. This suggests that the similarities in presence and well-being between siblings can be attributed more to their nonshared environmental factors and shared genetics than to their shared environment.
“The capacity to be present is partly a function of genetics and partly driven by environmental causes (like training in mindfulness meditation),” Brown said. “The genetic basis helps to explain why presence appears to support well-being.”
The study contributes significantly to our understanding of the complex relationships between genetics, environment, and psychological traits. But there are some caveats to consider, such as the study’s reliance on self-reported measures and its focus on a predominantly white, adolescent population. These factors may influence the generalizability of the findings, highlighting the need for further research across different demographics and using varied methodologies.
“This study was based on a mostly white sample of 16 year olds residing in the United Kingdom, so we can’t generalize to other age and racial groups,” Brown said. “Also, the study was based on twins. While this is a common method to get a read on genetic and environmental determinants to traits and behaviors, it doesn’t allow us to know which genes are responsible for the two major findings I outline above.”
Looking forward, the researchers anticipate extending their inquiry to explore the neurobiological mechanisms that underpin the genetic correlations between presence and subjective well-being. They aim to conduct genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify specific genetic variants contributing to these traits.
“There is growing interest in what’s called precision or personalized medicine,” Brown told PsyPost. “One important long-term goal is to understand which constellation of genes (and there are undoubtedly many) are responsible for the genetic bases of presence and subjective well-being.”
“If we can learn who is more likely to benefit from, or struggle with training in mindfulness, for example, we can better tailor our training to meet the needs of each person individually based in part on their genetic profiles. On the flip side, better understanding the environmental bases of presence may help us to socialize our children toward ways of being that support their well-being.”
The study, “A multivariate twin study of the genetic association between present moment attention and subjective wellbeing,” was authored by Kirk Warren Brown, Fazil Aliev, Thalia C. Eley, Danielle M. Dick, and Chelsea Sawyers.
