Common variant in OXTR predicts growth in positive emotions from loving-kindness training
Open accessAbstract
Ample research suggests that social connection reliably generates positive emotions. Oxytocin, a neuropeptide implicated in social cognition and behavior, is one biological mechanism that may influence an individual's capacity to extract positive emotions from social contexts. Because variation in certain genes may indicate underlying neurobiological differences, we tested whether several SNPs in two genes related to oxytocin signaling would show effects on positive emotions that were context-specific, depending on sociality. For six weeks, a sample of mid-life adults (N=122) participated in either socially-focused loving-kindness training or mindfulness training. During this timespan they reported their positive emotions daily. Five SNPs within OXTR and CD38 were assayed, and each was tested for its individual effect on daily emotions. The hypothesized three-way interaction between time, training type, and genetic variability emerged: Individuals homozygous for the G allele of OXTR rs1042778 experienced gains in daily positive emotions from loving-kindness training, whereas individuals with the T allele did not experience gains in positive emotions with either training. These findings are among the first to show how genetic differences in oxytocin signaling may influence an individual's capacity to experience positive emotions as a result of a socially-focused intervention.
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Oxytocin plays a role in both relaxation and secure attachment physiology and is associated with greater pro-social behaviors.
“Oxytocin plays a role in both relaxation and secure attachment physiology and is also associated with greater pro-social behaviors (e.g., improved face expression recognition, enhanced encoding of positive social memories; Isgett, Algoe, Boulton, Way, & Fredrickson, 2016; Mascaro et al, 2015; Strathearn, Fonagy, Amico, & Montague, 2009).”
From A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Effects of Meditation on Empathy, Compassion, and Prosocial Behaviors (2018) · cites this paper as Isgett, Algoe, Boulton, Way, & Fredrickson, 2016
The Introduction (page unavailable) describes oxytocin as implicated in sociality, and the Discussion (page unavailable) links it to altruistic behavior, attention to positive faces, and constructive behavior during couple conflict. Those passages support the broad social-behavior association, but they do not establish a role in relaxation or secure-attachment physiology, improved facial-expression recognition, or enhanced encoding of positive social memories. (LLM, conf=0.84)
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References 59 · Cited by 41
Research works printed but not linked: 28
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- Authors
- Isgett, S. F., Algoe, S. B., Boulton, A. J., Way, B. M., & Fredrickson, B. L.
- Affiliations
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
- The Ohio State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Fredrickson, Barbara L.
- Venue
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-11
- Volume
- 73
- Pages
- 244-251
- ISSN
- 0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5359600
- OpenAlex
- W2511415957
- Cited by
- 41
- References
- 59
- Citations by year
- 2025: 10 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 8
- FWCI
- 9.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (submittedVersion)
- UNC Libraries
- Funders
- Steve W
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Keywords
- oxytocin receptor, oxytocin receptor gene, CD38, single nucleotide polymorphisms, mindfulness training, positive emotions, oxytocin signaling, social connectedness, genetic moderators, middle-aged adults
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Emotions, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Middle Aged, Receptors, Oxytocin, Meditation, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
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