title: Polymorphism of the Oxytocin Receptor Gene Modulates Behavioral and Attitudinal Trust among Men but Not Women.
abstract: A relationship between the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and behavioral and attitudinal trust has been suggested, but the nature of this relationship has not yet been established. We obtained behavioral trust data from 470 Japanese participants (242 women) aged 20-59 years, together with their levels of general trust and personality traits (NEO-FFI). Saliva buccal swabs were collected from 411 of these 470 participants and used for genotyping of OXTR rs53576. Our participants were found to have more AA alleles (40%) than GG alleles (12%). The GG men were more trusting and also rated higher on attitudinal trust than AA men, and this difference did not diminish when personality traits were controlled for. However, this pattern was not observed among women. In addition, controlling for attitudinal trust reduced the difference in behavioral trust among men to a non-significant level, but the difference in attitudinal trust remained significant when behavioral trust was controlled. These results indicate that the OXTR genotype affects attitudinal trust as part of an individual's relatively stable disposition, and further affects behavioral trust through changes in attitudinal trust.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Brain Sciences, Tamagawa University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kuniyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishina
authors.affiliation: Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takagishi
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Miho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inoue-Murayama
authors.affiliation: Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidehiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Tokyo, Japan; Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy, Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamagishi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000378:metabolism; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin / Q000235:genetics*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C569600:OXTR protein, human; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin; D010121:Oxytocin