Abstract
Ordinary variations in human infants’ attachment behaviors – their proclivity to seek and accept comfort from caregivers – are associated with a wide range of individual differences in psychological functioning in adults. The current investigation examined variation in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene as one possible source of these variations in infant attachment. One hundred seventy-six infants (77 Caucasian, 99 non-Caucasian) were classified as securely or insecurely attached based on their behavior in the Strange Situation (Ainsworth et al., 1978). The A allele of OXTR rs2254298 was associated with attachment security in the non-Caucasian infants (p < 0.005). These findings underscore the importance of oxytocin in the development of human social behavior and support its role in social stress-regulation and the development of trust.
Highlights
Oxytocin Receptor (OXTR) Polymorphisms Predict Attachment in Human Infants Humans are social creatures, though some more than others
In this article we present evidence from molecular genetics demonstrating that at least some of the variance in the quality of infants’ attachment behavior is associated with a polymorphism of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR)
A dominant genetic model was tested; this model has been used in previous studies showing associations between rs53576 and social behavior in humans (Bakermans-Kranenberg and van Ijzendoorn, 2008; Rodrigues et al, 2009)
Summary
Oxytocin Receptor (OXTR) Polymorphisms Predict Attachment in Human Infants Humans are social creatures, though some more than others. Humans vary dramatically in their proclivity to seek and accept comfort from caregivers (Bowlby, 1969/1982; Ainsworth et al, 1978) These ordinary variations, readily observable in infancy, are associated with a wide range of individual differences in psychological functioning in adults. In this article we present evidence from molecular genetics demonstrating that at least some of the variance in the quality of infants’ attachment behavior is associated with a polymorphism of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR). In the standard method for assessing individual differences, known as the Strange Situation (Ainsworth et al, 1978), infants’ parent-directed behaviors are observed immediately following a mildly stressful separation and are used to classify infants as either securely or insecurely attached. OXTR and attachment in humans have found associations between attachment-relevant behavior and polymorphisms involved in the dopamine and serotonin systems in both adults (Gillath et al, 2008; van IJzendoorn et al, 2008) and children (Bakermans-Kranenburg and van IJzendoorn, 2007; Gervai et al, 2007; Barry et al, 2008), consistent with the role of these neurotransmitters in the regulation of social stress-regulation and approach/withdrawal behaviors
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