Science Is Just Getting Close to Discovering Our Genes for Empathy
We often talk about empathy as if it’s something we can all get more if we just try hard enough – like muscle or a higher Candy Crush score. But new research conducted today provides new evidence for the idea that individual differences in empathy are determined, at least in part, by genetics.
There are two main types of empathy: cognitive, which is the ability to recognize and understand the feelings and thoughts of others, and affective, which is the ability to respond appropriately to these observations. This is often measured using an empathy score (or EQ) test , which asks the subject to self-report their empathic ability using a rating scale for statements such as “I adjust my behavior based on who I’m communicating with” and “Me I like to learn something new. things.”
Thanks to major biotech developments over the past couple of decades, researchers are increasingly turning to DNA to understand things like cancer risk, autism, and disorders like schizophrenia and even sexuality. This effort is often touted as looking for a “cancer gene” or “autism gene”, but the results are seldom that way. Scientists have been looking for connections between genetics and empathy for over a decade, and while they have often found signs of a connection, they still have a long way to go before identifying any single “gene for empathy.” Today’s study, published in the journal Translational Psychiatry , brings the two closer together.
The study, led by a team of scientists from the University of Cambridge, Institut Pasteur, University of Paris Diderot and the French National Center for Scientific Research, along with genetic experts from 23andMe, is the largest genome-wide associative study of empathy . 23andMe provided 46,861 clients with saliva, and all test subjects also took an online EQ test.
Many genes with small roles
The new results confirmed some of the old results and added some new data to the field. The average self-reported EQ score was 46.4 out of 80, in line with previous studies. Women scored higher than men, and older participants scored higher than younger participants, both in line with previous studies. The results also suggest a “narrow but significant” correlation between DNA and variability in empathy. To put it simply: DNA appears to be responsible for about 11 percent of the differences that people themselves report in their ability to empathize.
But it’s not entirely clear how these DNA differences cause differences in empathy. The researchers examined whether these DNA differences, called SNPs, were observed in specific genes and found that two genes were most likely to contain the corresponding SNPs: SEMA6D , which affects neuronal growth, and FBN2 , which helps in the development of fibers in the skin. , ligaments and blood vessels. But looking at all SNPs across all genes, looking at the full dataset did not stand out any particular feature. For example, if all the differences were in the genes associated with the growth of neurons, this could tell us something. But the fragmented nature of the results could mean that genes influence empathy in ways we don’t yet understand, or that they are not at all involved in the game of empathy. In other words, the search for a specific gene for empathy continues.
One of the researchers, Professor Thomas Burgeron of the University of Diderot in Paris , says the findings are a sign that science is heading in the right direction towards understanding how genes affect how we see and interact with the world.
“These results provide an exciting new perspective on the genetic factors underlying empathy,” he said. In a likely situation for complex traits like empathy, each gene plays a small role, which, according to Bourgeron, makes it difficult to define their specific functions. The next step, he said, “will be to study even more people in order to reproduce them. discoveries and identify biological pathways associated with individual differences in empathy. “
How genes are associated with empathy
So how can genes influence empathy? Previous research gives us some clues: Genes give the body instructions to make different types of proteins. Some of these proteins are receptors for hormones such as oxytocin (often known as the “happiness hormone” or “love hormone”) and vasopressin, which have been shown to influence social behavior. It is possible that some people have more sensitive receptors for these hormones and therefore more empathy thanks to their genes. One recent meta-analysis found that six out of seven studies of twins in at least one age group found genetic differences that contributed to differences in empathy. Another found that genetic factors account for 35 percent of the difference in people’s empathy. (Read about these and other studies here .)
The new study also confirmed previous findings about differences in empathy among people with autism, schizophrenia and anorexia. While the study found no specific genes associated with either empathy or the three conditions, it found an association between EQ scores and all three of these disorders.
Professor Simon Baron-Cohen of Cambridge , who participated in the study, said the results should help us understand people who find it difficult to imagine the feelings of others. “This difficulty with empathy can lead to disabilities that are just as serious as other types of disabilities,” he said. “We, as a society, must support people with disabilities with new teaching methods, workarounds or smart adaptations to foster inclusion.”
Although the study also confirmed that although women are on average more empathetic than men, this was only true in the self-reported empathy quotient survey results; there was no clear difference in genes that correlated with differences in the EQ study between men and women. This suggests that differences in empathy between men and women are likely more to do with how we are socialized than with our DNA, the researchers said.
What else do we need to know
While big data is useful for research, it can only go this far when working with the brain. The study did not find clear evidence pointing to a specific gene or part of a gene that affects empathy. They note that this may be because the dataset is still too small – a common problem for genome-wide association studies.
“Even with this amount of data from 23andMe, this is still not enough. We need more data, ”said Dr. Jin Kim, assistant professor of psychiatry at George Washington University , who was not involved in the study. “There are no simple genetic biomarkers in a behavioral setting that would allow you to jump to one small mutation or gene and easily turn it on and off. Given the complexity of the brain, there are no quick and easy answers. ”
It’s also important to note that nearly all of the participants in this study were of European descent (a common data problem for personal genomics companies like 23andMe).
And since genome-wide association studies like this require a huge amount of statistical testing, they have gained some reputation for being above average in terms of their potential for false positives.
However, Kim and others are encouraged by this progress in determining whether empathy is transmitted in part through our DNA. “This kind of research is part of many small steps toward a better understanding of human behavior,” she said.