PsyPost’s PodWatch highlights interesting clips from recent podcasts related to psychology and neuroscience.
On Monday, February 9, the Huberman Lab podcast, hosted by Andrew Huberman, featuring Dr. Kathryn Paige Harden, explored the biological roots of human behavior. Harden is a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, known for her research on how genetic factors influence social outcomes. The episode focused on how DNA interacts with early brain development to shape complex traits like risk-taking, morality, and antisocial behavior.
At roughly the 20-minute mark, Harden discusses the “seven deadly sins” through the lens of modern science. She explains that behaviors often labeled as sinful, such as aggression, addiction, and promiscuity, share a common genetic foundation. These traits are not located in a single brain area but are influenced by many genes that affect how the brain develops before birth.
Harden notes that these genetic influences peak during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. They appear to regulate the balance between the brain’s inhibitory system, involving a chemical called GABA, and its excitatory system, involving glutamate. She suggests that conditions like substance use disorders should be viewed as neurodevelopmental issues similar to ADHD, stemming from early differences in brain wiring.
The conversation highlights three personality dimensions that drive risky behavior. These include sensation-seeking, which is a drive for intense experiences, and disinhibition, which is a lack of self-control. The third dimension is antagonism or callousness, characterized by an indifference to the negative consequences one’s actions have on others.
When addressing the role of trauma, Harden describes the relationship between nature and nurture as a woven tapestry. She explains that parents pass down both genetic risks and environmental conditions to their children. This makes it difficult to separate the effects of inherited biology from the impact of a chaotic or traumatic upbringing.
The discussion shifts to the use of polygenic scores, which are tools used to estimate a person’s genetic likelihood for certain outcomes. Harden warns against “genetic essentialism,” or the belief that DNA defines a person’s true identity or destiny. She notes that receiving information about genetic risks can alter how people view themselves and their potential, sometimes leading to a sense of fatalism.
You can listen to the full interview here.