一些研究已经证明了催产素和社会情绪信息处理之间的联系。关于经常研究的单核苷酸多态性(SNP)rs53576和研究较少,催产素受体(OXTR)基因的功能多态性rs2268498,先前的研究表明,它们的变体可能与社会信息处理的不同熟练程度有关。基因型变体之间的差异不限于非言语刺激处理,但也已在言语领域中报道。此外,有证据表明催产素的表达会影响儿童时期的移情沟通和语言发展,这表明基于语言的心理理论能力也可能受到OXTR基因型的个体差异的影响。因此,本研究调查了OXTR基因的两个突出的SNP(rs53576GG与A+;rs2268498TTvs.C)在情感效价和自我参照中变化的言语刺激的情感评估中也起作用。参与者(N=149名白种人参与者,104名女性;A+:n=80,GG:n=69;C+:n=98,TT:n=51)提出了一系列书面文件,self-,other-,和未引用的积极的话,负,和中性效价,并要求对每个单词对进行积极评估,负,或中性按钮按下。根据以前的研究,反应时间和准确性(效价一致反应的数量)显示出自我阳性偏差(即,对自我相关的积极词语的优先处理),which,然而,不受参与者基因型的影响。关于中性词的情感评价(解释偏差),在其他和未参考的刺激类别中,与GG携带者相比,A携带者显示出较弱的正解释偏差。在自参考条件和其他参考条件下,C携带者比TT携带者显示出较弱的正解释偏差。这些影响与参与者的性别无关。目前的结果表明,OXTR基因型以及参与者的遗传催产素敏感性可能会导致对中性词的自发评估中的解释偏差。
Several studies have demonstrated links between oxytocin and socio-emotional information processing. Regarding the frequently studied single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)
rs53576 and the less studied, functional polymorphism rs2268498 of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene, previous research suggested that their variants might be associated with different proficiency in the processing of social information. Differences between the genotype variants are not restricted to non-verbal stimulus processing but have also been reported in the verbal domain. Moreover, there is evidence that oxytocin expression influences empathic communication and language development during childhood, indicating that language-based theory-of-mind abilities may be affected by interindividual differences in OXTR genotypes as well. The present study therefore investigates whether two prominent SNPs of the OXTR gene (
rs53576 GG vs. A+; rs2268498 TT vs. C+) also play a role in the affective evaluation of verbal stimuli varying in emotional valence and in self-other reference. Participants (N = 149 Caucasian participants, 104 females; A+: n = 80, GG: n = 69; C+: n = 98, TT: n = 51) were presented a series of written, self-, other-, and unreferenced words of positive, negative, and neutral valence and asked to affectively evaluate each word pair as positive, negative, or neutral by button press. In line with previous research, reaction times and accuracy (number of valence-congruent responses) showed a self-positivity bias (i.e., preferential processing of self-related positive words), which, however, was unaffected by participants\' genotype. Regarding affective evaluation of neutral words (interpretation bias), A+ carriers displayed a weaker positive interpretation bias compared to GG carriers in the other- and unreferenced stimulus categories. C+ carriers showed a weaker positive interpretation bias than TT carriers in the self-reference condition and in the other-reference condition. These effects were independent from participants\' gender. The present results suggest that the OXTR genotype and hence participants\' genetic oxytocin sensitivity may cause an interpretation bias in the spontaneous appraisal of neutral words.