The effect of avoidant attachment with the partner on the number of followed users on Instagram: a GxE study.

Introduction In existing literature, researchers have primarily focused on the understanding of social behaviour through the analysis of environmental influences, such as attachment styles [1], and their interaction with genetic factors [2] like the serotonin-transporter gene [3]. Although we have gathered a broad knowledge of in-person interactions, little is known about online social behaviour [4]. To explore online sociability, this research examines how serotonin-transporter gene and adult attachment with a romantic partner interact in moderating Instagram users' behaviour. Methods The Experience in Close Relationships-Revised [5] questionnaire was adopted to collect participants' (N = 57; 41 females) adult attachment with their partner in terms of avoidance and anxiety, and the genetic factors within the region rs25531 of the serotonin-transporter gene (T/T, T/C) were assessed [4]. Users’ number of posts, number of followed users (followings) and number of followers on Instagram were obtained by using an ad-hoc Python script [6]. Results We hypothesized an interaction effect between genetic groups and ECR-R scores on the number of posts and followings. Although we did not detect specific gene-environment interactions, we identified an avoidance effect on Instagram followings’ number. Specifically, independently of their genetic signature, participants with high avoidance towards their partner showed a lower number of followings, as compared to those who reported low scores in avoidance. Conclusion As reported for in-person social behaviours [7], the tendency to refrain from intimacy with one’s partner could result in an extended avoidant behaviour in online social interactions, and also in social networks like Instagram.