Telltale Signs You've Got the 'Love Hormone' Gene?
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Can
you tell at first glance if someone is likely to be a good partner or parent?
New research suggests that observers can identify the most nurturing and
socially sensitive people, just by watching their behavior for 20 seconds — and
that these highly empathetic people are more likely to have a gene variation
associated with trust and caring.
The genetic variation affects the receptor for oxytocin,
often referred to as the "love hormone" or "cuddle
chemical" because it plays a role in social bonding, trust, empathy and
generosity. Levels of oxytocin increase during orgasm and childbirth, and it
helps the formation of bonds between friends, lovers, and parents and children.
Research has shown that people with two G variants of
the gene are more empathetic and "prosocial," showing more
compassion, cooperation and positive emotion. In contrast, those with the at
least one A version of the gene tend to be less empathetic, may have worse
mental health and are more likely to be autistic.
In the new study, researchers videotaped 23 romantic
couples while one person listened to his or her significant other describe a
time of personal suffering. Then, 116 strangers were asked to watch silent
20-second clips of the videos and rate the listeners on how supportive and
trustworthy they seemed.
People who were rated as most empathetic based on their
body language and behavior — things like keeping eye contact, smiling and
nodding while their partner spoke, and having open body posture — were also
more likely to have the GG genotype, researchers found. Of the 10 people rated
the most trustworthy, six had the GG variant; of the 10 rated lowest on trust,
nine had two copies of the A gene variation.
"We were floored by how strongly significant the
results were by genotype for such a small number of people evaluated,"
says Sarina Rodrigues Saturn, assistant professor of psychology at Oregon State
University and an author of the study.
Men who carried the GG genotype were also more easily
identified as being sensitive, compared with the women.
Read more:http://healthland.time.com/2011/11/17/telltale-signs-youve-got-the-love-hormone-gene/#ixzz1f771xSk5
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