The DOI matches its Crossref record; 56 of the 56 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 36 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.
Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others
Open accessAbstract
Recent research indicates that the neuropeptide oxytocin and the gene for the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) have been implicated in the modulation of various social behaviors, including those related to empathy and sensitivity to others. In this study, we examine the hypothesis that genetic variation in OXTR is associated with autonomic reactions when perceiving others in distress. We also explore the possibility that individual disposition in empathic concern would differ by OXTR genotype. To address these questions, 51 male participants (18-35 years of age), genotyped for OXTR rs53576, viewed a social interaction containing high levels of individual distress and apparent physical pain. Electrodermal activity, a measure of sympathetic nervous system activity, was collected during the presentation of the stimuli. Participants also completed a self-report dispositional measure of empathy prior to starting the study and provided ratings of arousal while viewing the stimuli. OXTR variant rs53576 GG individuals showed increased levels of sympathetic and subjective arousal in response to the stimuli compared to A allele carriers. GG homozygotes also expressed greater levels of empathic concern. These findings support the importance of the oxytocin receptor variation in emotional and physiological reactions to the affective experiences of other conspecifics.
Overview
AI snapshot
Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
In 51 male participants, OXTR rs53576 GG homozygotes showed greater dispositional empathic concern and higher sympathetic and subjective arousal while viewing an MMA fight than A allele carriers. The findings support a role for oxytocin receptor variation in emotional and physiological reactions to others’ distress, though the study has notable sample and design limitations.
Key findings
- Empathic concern was the only IRI factor showing a significant genotype difference: GG participants scored higher than A allele carriers (GG: mean = 20.96, SD = 4.894; A carriers: mean = 17.89, SD = 3.935; t(49) = −2.480, p = .017).
- GG individuals showed increased electrodermal activity while viewing the fight compared with A allele carriers (significant main effect of genotype: F(1,26) = 5.838, p = .023). Baseline EDA did not differ between groups, but by the end of the fight GG had higher EDA (GG: mean = 0.06, SD = 0.03; AA/AG: mean = 0.05, SD = 0.02; t = −2.427, p = .03).
- GG individuals reported higher subjective arousal during the fight than A allele carriers (F(1,45) = 7.259, p = .010), with a trend toward a genotype-by-time interaction (F(4,45) = 2.078, p = .062).
- Dispositional empathic concern was not significantly related to changes in EDA or subjective arousal across rounds.
Methods
- Fifty-one males aged 18–35 of mixed race were recruited from the Chicago area, genotyped for OXTR rs53576, and completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) before viewing a 28-minute, five-round Mixed Martial Arts fight.
- Genotype distribution was 27 G/G (48.2%), 21 A/G (37.5%), and 8 A/A (14.3%), consistent with Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (χ² = 1.3, df = 2, p = 0.52); A/A and A/G were combined as A allele carriers.
- Electrodermal activity was recorded during the fight, subjective arousal was rated after each round, and analyses used independent-sample t-tests, repeated-measures ANOVAs, and regressions/simple slope analyses; recording artifacts left 28 participants with complete SCR data.
Limitations
- The paper states a small EDA sample (n = 28), a multiethnic sample despite evidence that OXTR allele frequencies and behavioral correlates vary across ethnicities, reliance on self-report empathy rather than direct empathic responses to the stimuli, evaluation of only one OXTR SNP, use of an MMA fight that includes violent competition as well as pain/distress, and a male-only sample.
- The paper also notes that the lack of relationship between dispositional empathic concern and arousal might be clarified by measuring empathy and empathic concern specifically toward the fighters during the stimuli.
- Evident from the text: the overall sample was modest (51 participants), genotype groups were uneven, and the EDA analysis excluded many participants, limiting statistical power and generalizability.
Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
22 Not checked yet · 11 Own result · 10 Own method · 5 Own interpretation · 1 No basis given
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“There was a significant main effect by genotype for arousal ratings (F(1, 45 = 7.259, p = 0.010), indicating that participants with the GG genotype had higher levels of reported arousal during the fight than A allele carriers.”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Results > Subjective Measures of Arousal
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Individuals with the GG genotype had increased EDA while viewing the fight, indicative of increased sympathetic arousal, compared to those carrying an A allele (Figure 2).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Results > Physiological Measures
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“There was a significant main effect of round on EDA (F(5, 27) = 8.893, p <0.001.”
- Also stated in: § Physiological Measures · hedged
“suggesting that viewing the fight increased electrodermal activity across subjects.”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Results > Physiological Measures
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Also stated in: § Physiological Measures · hedged
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Empathic concern, defined as the capacity to experience feelings of compassion, warmth, and concern in response to other people, was the only factor to show a significant difference between genotypes (t(49) = −2.480, p = .017)”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Results > Empathy
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“There was a significant main effect of time on subjective ratings (F(2.678, 46) =7.881, p < 0.001).1 Post hoc comparisons indicated that there was a significant linear trend over time (F(1, 46) = 15.541, p < 0.001), suggesting that viewing the fight resulted in a linear increase of subjective arousal ratings over time.”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Results > Subjective Measures of Arousal
hedgeddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Post hoc contrasts revealed that pre-fight EDA did not differ at baseline between groups (GG: m = 0.04, sd = 0.04; AA/AG: m = 0.04, sd = 0.02; t = −0.294, p = 0.722)”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Results > Physiological Measures
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“There was no significant relationship for changes in either EDA or subjective arousal across all rounds (see Table 1).”
- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
“One unanticipated finding in this study was the lack of a relationship between the self-report measure of dispositional empathic concern, taken prior to viewing the fight stimuli, and physiological or subjective measure of arousal by genotype.”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Results > Relationship between Dispositional Empathy and Arousal
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“although the groups did differ by the end of the fight (GG: m = 0.06, sd = 0.03; AA/AG: m = 0.05, sd = 0.02; t = −2.427, p = 0.03)”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Results > Physiological Measures
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“GG homozygotes also expressed greater levels of empathic concern.”
- Also stated in: § Empathy · plain
“Empathic concern, defined as the capacity to experience feelings of compassion, warmth, and concern in response to other people, was the only factor to show a significant difference between genotypes (t(49) = −2.480, p = .017), with GG (x = 20.96, sd = 4.894) participants showing increased dispositional levels of empathic concern compared to A carriers (x = 17.89, sd = 3.935, Figure 1).”
- Also stated in: § Discussion · boosted
“This study replicated this finding, demonstrating that OXTR variation was associated with increased levels of empathic concern, or the capacity to experience feelings of compassion, warmth, and concern in response to others (Davis, 1980).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Abstract
boostedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Also stated in: § Empathy · plain
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In addition, a trend towards a significant genotype by time interaction (F(4, 45) = 2.078, p = 0.062) was identified”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Results > Subjective Measures of Arousal
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Probably not a substantial claim. 29
- It may state two separate claims as one. 9
- The quote only partly states this claim. 1
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“A pre-fight measure was also extracted using the first 30s of the recording after the start of the video to ensure differences in physiological measures across genotypes were driven by viewing the fight.”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Methods and Materials > Electrodermal Activity
plaindirectn = 28- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Finally, the population in this study was limited to males.”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Another limitation of the present study is that it evaluated only one OXTR SNP.”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“It is also important to note that the stimuli, an MMA fight, does not only contain high levels of pain and distress, but also involves a violent competition.”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“This distribution does not deviate from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, χ2 = 1.3, df = 2, p = 0.52.”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Methods and Materials > Genotyping
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“There is evidence of gender differences in empathy(Decety & Svetlova, 2012; Schieman & Van Gundy, 2000), as well as systematic differences in aggression (Archer, 2004) which might suggest that a female population might show different patterns of responses to viewing a stimuli containing high levels of distress, pain, and violence, as well as aggression.”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Decety & Svetlova, 2012
- Not checked yetcites Schieman & Van Gundy, 2000
- Not checked yetcites Archer, 2004
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Specific modulation of the sympathetic branch of the ANS has previously been shown through increased sympathetic activity, measured using pre-ejection period (PEP), in GG individuals in response to social stress (Norman et al., 2012).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Norman et al., 2012
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“Additionally, other work has shown a relationship between other-oriented empathy as measured by the IRI and variation in other OXTR SNPs (Wu et al., 2012).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Wu et al., 2012
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The first is the small sample size in the analysis for EDA (n = 28).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
plainn = 28- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Furthermore, OXTR variation has been demonstrated to influence the responsiveness of the amygdala and hypothalamus to social and emotional stimuli (Kogan et al., 2011; Tost et al., 2011).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Kogan et al., 2011
- Not checked yetcites Tost et al., 2011
boosteddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Participants with recording artifacts were excluded, leaving 28 participants with complete SCR data.”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Methods and Materials > Electrodermal Activity
plainn = 28- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
In the paper
“However, the measure used in this study is one used previously and replicates previous results (Rodrigues et al., 2009).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Rodrigues et al., 2009
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“As emphasized in a recent meta-analysis (Bakermans-Kranenburg & van Ijzendoorn, 2013), the functional significance of the respective OXTR SNPs are not well established, making it difficult to generate strong inferences regarding the precise relationship between genetic variation at this site and subsequent phenotypes.”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Bakermans-Kranenburg & van Ijzendoorn, 2013
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Additionally, the study is limited in that it used only a self-report questionnaire to assess empathy and did not directly assess empathic responses related to the stimuli.”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“In particular, previous work has reported that GG individuals show significantly increased levels of other-oriented empathy (empathic concern, perspective taking, and fantasy) (Rodrigues et al., 2009).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Rodrigues et al., 2009
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
In the paper
“This study also utilized a sample consisting of multiple ethnicities which is a limitation, as there is some evidence that the allele frequencies and behavioral correlates of OXTR vary across ethnicities (Kim et al., 2010).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Kim et al., 2010
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“These issues were not addressed in this study, but should be examined in future work.”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The quote only partly states this claim.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“and overall increased maternal sensitivity (Bakermans-Kranenburg & Van Ijzendoorn, 2008; Sturge-Apple, Cicchetti, Davies, & Suor, 2012).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Bakermans-Kranenburg & Van Ijzendoorn, 2008
- Not checked yetcites Sturge-Apple et al., 2012
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Recent research indicates that the neuropeptide oxytocin and the gene for the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) have been implicated in the modulation of various social behaviors, including those related to empathy and sensitivity to others.”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Abstract
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“For example, concern for others' in distress has been associated to increases in autonomic arousal and activation of neural regions involved in individuals' own experiences of these states including the insula and anterior cingulate cortex (Decety & Jackson, 2004; Harrison, Singer, Rotshtein, Dolan, & Critchley, 2006).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Decety & Jackson, 2004
- Not checked yetcites Harrison et al., 2006
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“In addition, variation in OXTR has been implicated in social information processing (Petrovic, Kalisch, Singer, & Dolan, 2008; Tost et al., 2010)”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Petrovic et al., 2008
- Not checked yetcites Tost et al., 2010
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Furthermore, the A allele of OXTR rs53576 has been associated with decreased hypothalamus and amygdala volumes, areas of the brain extensively involved in regulation of social and emotional behaviors (Ebstein et al., 2012; Tost et al., 2010).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Ebstein et al., 2012
- Not checked yetcites Tost et al., 2010
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Empathic arousal, which refers to the unconscious contagious sharing of affect, is the first building block of empathy to appear during ontogeny (Decety & Michalska, 2010; Michalska, Kinzler, & Decety, 2013; Roth-Hanania, Davidov, & Zahn-Waxler, 2011).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Decety & Michalska, 2010
- Not checked yetcites Michalska et al., 2013
- Not checked yetcites Roth-Hanania et al., 2011
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“as there is some evidence that the allele frequencies and behavioral correlates of OXTR vary across ethnicities (Kim et al., 2010).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Kim et al., 2010
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“To be motivated to help another, one needs to be affectively, empathically aroused, and to anticipate the cessation of mutually experience personal distress (Decety, 2011).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Decety, 2011
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“The ANS is involved in the stress response as well as regulating social behavior (Porges, 2011)”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Porges, 2011
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“and social communication, with GG individuals being better at detecting some emotions in others (Rodrigues et al., 2009).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Rodrigues et al., 2009
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“There is a wealth of literature examining physiological and hormonal responding to competition, especially in males, demonstrating that these responses are influenced by a variety of factors including team affiliation, domination, and defeat (Carré, Putnam, & McCormick, 2009; Mehta & Josephs, 2006).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Carré et al., 2009
- Not checked yetcites Mehta & Josephs, 2006
boostedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Oxytocin modulates a variety of social behaviors, such as trust, generosity, and empathy (Baumgartner, Heinrichs, Vonlanthen, Fischbacher, & Fehr, 2008; Kogan et al., 2011; Rodrigues, Saslow, Garcia, John, & Keltner, 2009; Tost et al., 2010), as well as parental care (Feldman, Gordon, Schneiderman, Weisman, & Zagoory-Sharon, 2010; Neville, McFadden, & Forsyth, 2002).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Baumgartner et al., 2008
- Not checked yetcites Kogan et al., 2011
- Not checked yetcites Rodrigues et al., 2009
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Genetic variation in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) has been associated with individual differences in the expression of various social behaviors including empathic concern and social cognition (Park et al., 2010; Rodrigues et al., 2009; Wu, Li, & Su, 2012).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Park et al., 2010
- Not checked yetcites Rodrigues et al., 2009
- Not checked yetcites Wu et al., 2012
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
In the paper
“There is now a converging agreement that empathy is not a single ability but a complex socio-emotional competency that encompasses different components including empathic arousal and empathic concern (Decety, Norman, Berntson, & Cacioppo, 2012).”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Decety et al., 2012
boosted- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.
The paper relies on this without support.
The MMA fight video is an evocative social stimulus that elicits empathic concern and/or autonomic arousal in response to others' distress and pain.
“MMA is a popular full contact combat sport similar to boxing and was chosen because it is an evocative social stimulus with fighters exhibiting high levels of pain and distress.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Autonomic and subjective arousal while viewing the MMA fight reflects sensitivity to the distress and pain of others rather than a general response to violence or competition.
“It is also important to note that the stimuli, an MMA fight, does not only contain high levels of pain and distress, but also involves a violent competition.”
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“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 [26]
Statistics that don’t add up
Each reported p-value recomputed from its test statistic and degrees of freedom.
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
“F(1,26) = 0.897, p = 0.253”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Results > Physiological Measures
Reported p = .253 · recomputed p = .352
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
“F(4, 45) = 2.078, p = 0.062”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Results > Subjective Measures of Arousal
Reported p = .062 · recomputed p = .099
Statistics recomputed
Every reported test result, recomputed from its test statistic and degrees of freedom. A result shows as not adding up only once an independent check has confirmed it.
- Doesn’t add upF(1, 26) = 0.897reported p = .253 · recomputed p = .352
“F(1,26) = 0.897, p = .253”
- Doesn’t add upF(4, 45) = 2.078reported p = .062 · recomputed p = .099
“F(4, 45) = 2.078, p = .062”
- Consistentt(49) = -2.48reported p = .017 · recomputed p = .017
“t(49) = −2.480, p = .017”
- ConsistentF(5, 27) = 8.893reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001
“F(5, 27) = 8.893, p < .001”
- Consistentt(27) = 4.831reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001
“t(27) = 4.831, p < .001”
- Consistentt(27) = 3.275reported p = .003 · recomputed p = .003
“t(27) = 3.275, p = .003”
- Consistentt(27) = 4.172reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001
“t(27) = 4.172, p < .001”
- Consistentt(27) = 2.29reported p = .03 · recomputed p = .030
“t(27) = 2.290, p = .030”
- Consistentt(27) = 2.326reported p = .028 · recomputed p = .028
“t(27) = 2.326, p = .028”
- ConsistentF(1, 26) = 5.838reported p = .023 · recomputed p = .023
“F(1,26) = 5.838, p = .023”
- ConsistentF(2.678, 46) = 7.881reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001
“F(2.678, 46) =7.881, p < .001”
- ConsistentF(1, 46) = 15.541reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001
“F(1, 46) = 15.541, p < .001”
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Methods and Materials > Participants
“57% Caucasian, 35% African American”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Methods and Materials > Participants
“5.9% Asian, and 7.8% other or multiple ethnicities”
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Results > Subjective Measures of Arousal
“A one way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to look at the effect of viewing the fight on subject's subjective arousal ratings across the 6 rounds of the fight.”
§ Oxytocin receptor gene variation predicts empathic concern and autonomic arousal while perceiving harm to others > Methods and Materials > Procedure
“After each of the five rounds of the fight, participants were asked to rate how arousing they found the fight on a Likert scale from 1 – 9.”
Citations
Cites
Measuring individual differences in empathy: Evidence for a multidimensional approach.
Davis, M. H. (1983) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.44.1.113 · Cited by 10,272
(1980) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 4,712
(2001) · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511546396 · Cited by 4,482
Heart rate variability: origins, methods, and interpretive caveats
BERNTSON, G. G., THOMAS BIGGER, J., ECKBERG, D. L., GROSSMAN, P., KAUFMANN, P. G., MALIK, M., NAGARAJA, H. N., PORGES, S. W., SAUL, J. P., STONE, P. H., et al. (1997) · Psychophysiology · doi:10.1111/j.1469-8986.1997.tb02140.x · Cited by 3,962
The functional architecture of human empathy
Decety, J., & Jackson, P. L. (2004) · Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews · doi:10.1177/1534582304267187 · Cited by 3,407 · cited 1×
“For example, concern for others’ in distress has been associated with increases in autonomic arousal and activation of neural regions involved in individuals’ own experiences of these states including the insula and anterior cingulate cortex (Decety & Jackson, 2004; Harrison et al., 2006).”
BackgroundThe oxytocin receptor system: structure, function, and regulation
Gimpl, G., & Fahrenholz, F. (2001) · Physiological Reviews · doi:10.1152/physrev.2001.81.2.629 · Cited by 3,089
The social neuroscience of empathy
Singer, T., & Lamm, C. (2009) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04418.x · Cited by 1,981
Sex Differences in Aggression in Real-World Settings: A Meta-Analytic Review
Archer, J. (2004) · Review of General Psychology · doi:10.1037/1089-2680.8.4.291 · Cited by 1,916
Dawson, M. E., Schell, A. M., Filion, D. L., & Berntson, G. G. (2009) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511546396.007 · Cited by 1,776
Neuroendocrine perspectives on social attachment and love
Sue Carter, C. (1998) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/s0306-4530(98)00055-9 · Cited by 1,425
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Davis M. H., 1980, JSAS Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 10, 177
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Handbook of Religion and Health
Koenig, H. G., VanderWeele, T. J., & Peteet, J. R. (2023) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190088859.001.0001 · Cited by 1,160
Decety, J., Bartal, I. B.-A., Uzefovsky, F., & Knafo-Noam, A. (2016) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2015.0077 · Cited by 740
Feldman, R., Monakhov, M., Pratt, M., & Ebstein, R. P. (2016) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.08.008 · Cited by 352
Decety, J., & Yoder, K. J. (2015) · Social Neuroscience · doi:10.1080/17470919.2015.1029593 · Cited by 356
The neural pathways, development and functions of empathy
Decety, J. (2014) · Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2014.12.001 · Cited by 323
Metadata
- Authors
- Smith, K. E., Porges, E. C., Norman, G. J., Connelly, J. J., & Decety, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Chicago (US)
- Venue
- Social Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2013-12-03
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-9
- ISSN
- 1747-0919 (ISSN-L)
- 1747-0927
- PMC
- PMC3923324
- OpenAlex
- W2118534560
- Semantic Scholar
- 8dbc4d12d94efa69b0aa11b0dba10d680bab7225
- Cited by
- 195
- References
- 56
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 44 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 8
- FWCI
- 17.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Social Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH84934-01A1, R01MH084934)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Keywords
- oxytocin receptor, rs53576, empathic concern, autonomic arousal, electrodermal activity, sympathetic nervous system, pain perception, empathy, genetic polymorphism
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Analysis of Variance, Arousal, Autonomic Nervous System, Empathy, Galvanic Skin Response, Genotype, Humans, Male, Perception, Regression Analysis, Social Behavior, Receptors, Oxytocin, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Young Adult, Self Report
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-10-09, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).
A second model labelled each claim on 2026-10-09 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
