How Oxytocin Receptor (OXTR) Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Act on Prosociality: The Mediation Role of Moral Evaluation.
How Oxytocin Receptor (OXTR) Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Act on Prosociality: The Mediation Role of Moral Evaluation.
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DOI：
10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00396
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发表时间：
2017
影响因子：
3.8
通讯作者：
Su Y
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Shang S;Wu N;Su Y
亲社会性与众多积极成果相关，亲社会性个体差异背后的机制也已得到广泛探讨。最近，研究发现了越来越多关于催产素受体（OXTR）基因对亲社会性影响的证据。与此同时，道德推理作为社会行为的一个关键先导因素，也与OXTR基因的变异性有关，因此，人们假定OXTR与亲社会性之间的关系是由道德评价介导的。本研究对这一关系进行了考察，并将性别作为一个潜在的调节变量。研究分析了790名中国青少年（男生占32.4%）在亲社会倾向量表上自我报告的亲社会性，以及他们对故事中行为道德可接受性的评价，以探究OXTR单核苷酸多态性（SNPs）的影响。结果显示，rs2254298位点的单核苷酸多态性通过对行为的道德评价与亲社会行为存在间接关联，且这一效应受到性别的调节。我们的研究结果表明，OXTR基因变异与亲社会性之间通过道德评价存在间接关联，这表明了从基因变异性到亲社会性可能存在一条通过道德发展水平的路径。我们还提供了一些证据，表明催产素系统的作用在一定程度上可能取决于性别。这些发现可能会增进我们对亲社会性和道德的遗传及生物学根源的理解。
Prosociality is related to numerous positive outcomes, and mechanisms underlying individual differences in prosociality have been widely discussed. Recently, research has found converging evidence on the influence of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene on prosociality. Meanwhile, moral reasoning, a key precursor for social behavior, has also been associated with variability in OXTR gene, thus the relationship between OXTR and prosociality is assumed to be mediated by moral evaluation. The current study examines the relationship in question, and includes gender as a potential moderator. Self-reported prosociality on Prosocial Tendencies Measure and evaluation on the moral acceptability of behaviors in stories from 790 Chinese adolescents (32.4% boys) were analyzed for the influence of their OXTR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Results showed that SNP at site rs2254298 was indirectly associated with prosocial behaviors via moral evaluation of behaviors, and this effect was moderated by gender. Our findings suggest an indirect association between genetic variations in OXTR and prosociality through moral evaluation, indicating the potential pathway from genetic variability to prosociality through level of moral development. We also provide some evidence that the role of oxytocin system may to some extent depend on gender. These findings may promote our understanding of the genetic and biological roots of prosociality and morality.