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We all know of oxytocin's role as a hormone that affects uterine function. In recent years, researchers have shown that it also serves as a neurotransmitter that enhances behaviors that reflect both trust and generosity.
The gene for oxytocin has a single nucleotide polymorphism — the involved base can be either guanine (G) or adenine (A): Thus, an individual can have GG, GA, or AA at this position. Investigators in California and Oregon administered validated psychological and physiological tests of empathy and stress response to 192 college students. Individuals with GG demonstrated more empathy than those who had either GA or AA. For example, when individuals were shown pictures of strangers with various facial expressions (terrified, ups…