Toward a Social-Genetic Model of Well-being and Prosociality
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Toward a Social-Genetic Model of Well-being and Prosociality
IRAS ID
125052
Contact name
Aleksandr Kogan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Cambridge, Research Operations Office
Research summary
Previous research on the rs53576 SNP of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) has been broadly linked to well-being and prosociality. In particular, individuals with two copies of the G version of the gene have been found to have higher well-being and be more prosocial than individuals with at least one copy of the A version of the gene. Yet research on oxytocin and the oxytocin receptor gene has recently demonstrated that more oxytocin is not always better—instead, situational and personality factors related to social engagement moderate the effects.
Build upon this foundation, I will conduct two studies to investigate whether two social factors related to social engagement—namely, attachment and self-construal—moderate the impact of the oxytocin receptor gene on a broad array of tasks and questionnaires related to well-being, prosociality, personality, and social functioning.
Furthermore, the studies will also investigate several other genes implicated in well-being and prosociality—such as genes regulating the serotonin, dopamine, and androgen systems (e.g., Chen et al., 2012). These analyses will be more exploratory in nature, but I am in particular interested in how these genes interact with the oxytocin receptor gene, attachment, and self-construal in predicting well-being, prosociality, personality, and social functioning.REC name
East of England - Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/EE/0127
Date of REC Opinion
22 May 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion