Oxytocin receptor genetic variation relates to empathy and stress reactivity in humans
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Oxytocin, a peptide that functions as both a hormone and neurotransmitter, has broad influences on social and emotional processing throughout the body and the brain. In this study, we tested how a polymorphism (rs53576) of the oxytocin receptor relates to two key social processes related to oxytocin: empathy and stress reactivity. Compared with individuals homozygous for the G allele of rs53576 (GG), individuals with one or two copies of the A allele (AG/AA) exhibited lower behavioral and dispositional empathy, as measured by the “Reading the Mind in the Eyes” Test and an other-oriented empathy scale. Furthermore, AA/AG individuals displayed higher physiological and dispositional stress reactivity than GG individuals, as determined by heart rate response during a startle anticipation task and an affective reactivity scale. Our results provide evidence of how a naturally occurring genetic variation of the oxytocin receptor relates to both empathy and stress profiles.
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A polymorphic region of the human OXTR has been associated with empathy and stress reactivity.
“A polymorphic region of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) in humans has been associated with empathy and stress reactivity [73].”
From Gestational Exposure to Low Dose Bisphenol A Alters Social Behavior in Juvenile Mice (2011) · cites this paper as [73]
OXTR polymorphisms are linked to other measures of social behavior, such as empathy, prosocial temperament, and pair-bonding behavior, in non-ASD populations.
“Results from studies in non-ASD populations have also linked OXTR polymorphisms to other measures of social behavior, such as empathy13, prosocial temperament14, and pair-bonding behavior15.”
From Effect of age and autism spectrum disorder on oxytocin receptor density in the human basal forebrain and midbrain (2018) · cites this paper as [13]
Men and women carrying one or two copies of the A allele in rs53576 show reduced empathy.
“men and women carrying one or two copies of the A allele in the most common SNP, rs53576, show reduced empathy (Rodrigues et al., 2009; Uzefovsky et al., 2015)”
From Vasopressin and oxytocin receptor systems in the brain: Sex differences and sex-specific regulation of social behavior (2016) · cites this paper as Rodrigues et al., 2009
Stable individual differences in prosocial tendencies have a genetic root and correspond to polymorphisms in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene.
“Already there are many indications that stable individual differences in prosocial tendencies have a genetic root and that they correspond to polymorphisms in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene.”
From The effect of oxytocin on cooperation in a prisoner's dilemma depends on the social context and a person's social value orientation (2014) · cites this paper as Rodrigues et al., 2009
A number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms have been associated with differences in prosociality.
“A number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms have been associated with differences in prosociality (Bakermans-Kranenburg & Van Ijzendoorn, 2008, Rodrigues et al., 2009;Riem et al.,2010;Tost et al., 2010).”
From The effect of oxytocin on cooperation in a prisoner's dilemma depends on the social context and a person's social value orientation (2014) · cites this paper as Rodrigues et al., 2009
Variations of the OXTR have been associated with individual differences in the capacity and tendency to empathize with others' emotional states in healthy individuals and related brain function in individuals with ASD.
“Further, variations of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) have been associated with individual differences in the capacity and tendency to empathize with others’ emotional states in healthy individuals25–30 and related brain function in individuals with ASD31.”
From Randomized clinical trial shows no substantial modulation of empathy-related neural activation by intranasal oxytocin in autism (2021) · cites this paper as [25]
Variation in OXTR SNPs has been linked to the ability to identify emotions and empathic concern.
“Variation in OXTR SNPs has been linked to the ability to identify emotions and empathic concern (29)”
From Variation in the β-endorphin, oxytocin, and dopamine receptor genes is associated with different dimensions of human sociality (2017) · cites this paper as [29]
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Variation in the Oxytocin Receptor Gene Is Associated with Pair-Bonding and Social Behavior
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Oxytocin increases autonomic cardiac control: Moderation by loneliness
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Oxytocin receptor genetic variation promotes human trust behavior
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“The same approach was done in previous studies demonstrating that individuals with the GG genotype, relative to those with the A allele, exhibit more sensitive parenting behavior (BakermansKranenburg and Van Ijzendoorn, 2008), empathy (Rodrigues et al., 2009), and attachment (Costa et al.”
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Epigenetic regulation of the oxytocin receptor gene: implications for behavioral neuroscience
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DNA methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene predicts neural response to ambiguous social stimuli
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“…resources such as optimism and self-esteem (Saphire-Bernstein et al., 2011), non-verbal intelligence (Lucht et al., 2009), behavioral and dispositional empathy (Rodrigues et al., 2009), positive affect (Lucht et al., 2009), and parental sensitivity (BakermansKranenburg and van IJzendoorn, 2008).”
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Human neuroimaging of oxytocin and vasopressin in social cognition
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Gestational Exposure to Low Dose Bisphenol A Alters Social Behavior in Juvenile Mice
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“A polymorphic region of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) in humans has been associated with empathy and stress reactivity [73].”
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Oxytocin facilitates accurate perception of competition in men and kinship in women
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Revisiting the impact of OXTR rs53576 on empathy: A population-based study and a meta-analysis
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Roles of Oxytocin Neurones in the Control of Stress, Energy Metabolism, and Social Behaviour
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Sex, Receptors, and Attachment: A Review of Individual Factors Influencing Response to Oxytocin
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Behavioral and mechanistic insight into rodent empathy
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Oxytocin and same-sex social behavior in female meadow voles
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Maternal oxytocin response predicts mother-to-infant gaze
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Links between the neurobiology of oxytocin and human musicality
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Oxytocin receptor gene and racial ingroup Bias in empathy-related brain activity
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“In addition, some studies have related oxytocin to empathy (Rodrigues et al., 2009; Hurlemann et al., 2010; Riem et al., 2011; but see Singer et al., 2008).”
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Distress of ostracism: oxytocin receptor gene polymorphism confers sensitivity to social exclusion
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Oxytocin: Parallel Processing in the Social Brain?
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Attachment style and oxytocin receptor gene variation interact in influencing social anxiety
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Oxytocin receptor gene variations predict neural and behavioral response to oxytocin in autism
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- Authors
- Rodrigues, S. M., Saslow, L. R., Garcia, N., John, O. P., & Keltner, D.
- Affiliations
- Oregon State University (US)
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 2009-12-15
- Volume
- 106
- Issue
- 50
- Pages
- 21437-21441
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC2795557
- OpenAlex
- W2156891942
- Cited by
- 812
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 67 · 2019: 56 · 2018: 69 · 2017: 61 · 2016: 72 · 2015: 76 · 2014: 74 · 2013: 57 · 2012: 58
- FWCI
- 55.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Keywords
- oxytocin receptor, genetic variation, empathy, stress reactivity, heart rate response, emotional reactivity, social behavior, dispositional traits
- MeSH terms
- Emotions, Empathy, Female, Genotype, Humans, Male, Polymorphism, Genetic, Social Perception, Stress, Physiological, Receptors, Oxytocin, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Young Adult
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