Thin-slicing study of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene and the evaluation and expression of the prosocial disposition

TLDR

The rs53576 G allele of the OXTR gene is linked to greater prosociality, yet how these genetic differences manifest behaviorally and are perceived by observers remains unclear. The study aimed to determine whether rs53576 genotype predicts observers’ prosocial judgments from brief behavioral observations and whether affiliative cue expression explains these differences. Thin‑slicing of brief behavioral clips was used to assess whether differences in rs53576 genotype and affiliative cue expression influence observers’ prosocial judgments. Observers judged G allele homozygotes as more prosocial, and this effect was fully explained by differences in affiliative cue expression, linking rs53576 genotype to observable prosocial behavior that shapes others’ judgments.

Abstract

Individuals who are homozygous for the G allele of the rs53576 SNP of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene tend to be more prosocial than carriers of the A allele. However, little is known about how these differences manifest behaviorally and whether they are readily detectable by outside observers, both critical questions in theoretical accounts of prosociality. In the present study, we used thin-slicing methodology to test the hypotheses that ( i ) individual differences in rs53576 genotype predict how prosocial observers judge target individuals to be on the basis of brief observations of behavior, and ( ii ) that variation in targets’ nonverbal displays of affiliative cues would account for these judgment differences. In line with predictions, we found that individuals homozygous for the G allele were judged to be more prosocial than carriers of the A allele. These differences were completely accounted for by variations in the expression of affiliative cues. Thus, individual differences in rs53576 are associated with behavioral manifestations of prosociality, which ultimately guide the judgments others make about the individual.