Empathy & Bonding

Your result, the one DNA position behind it, and what the research says.

7/10 confidence.

About Empathy & Bonding

OXTR builds the receptor that oxytocin - the so-called 'bonding hormone' - docks onto. This variant sits in a non-coding stretch of the gene and has been studied for subtle links to empathy, sociability, and how people handle stress. The reported effects are small, so it's best read as one gentle influence - your empathy is shaped far more by your upbringing, your environment, and many genes together.

Good to know: Empathy is shaped overwhelmingly by upbringing and life experience. Reported effects are small - read this as interest, not a measure of your character. Many genes shape social behavior; this is only one of them.

Fun fact: Oxytocin is nicknamed the 'love hormone' - it surges during hugs, bonding, and childbirth.

Discovery: The empathy associations for this variant were first reported around 2009.

The Variant

The single variant behind this trait

Gene: OXTR

Variant (rsID): rs53576

Location: Chr 3:8,762,685

dbSNP rs53576

The studies

Oxytocin receptor genetic variation relates to empathy and stress reactivity in humans (Rodrigues SM et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2009)

A common allele in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) impacts prosocial temperament and human hypothalamic-limbic structure and function (Tost H et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2010)

Oxytocin receptor gene associated with the efficiency of social auditory processing (Tops M et al., Frontiers in psychiatry, 2011)

The Multifaceted Role of Oxytocinergic System and OXTR Gene (Hasan R, Global medical genetics, 2024)

The oxytocinergic system and racial ingroup bias in empathic neural activity (Duan Q et al., Neuropharmacology, 2024)

Other lifestyle traits

Reward & Motivation: A variant near the dopamine D2-receptor gene, studied for its role in the brain's reward and motivation system.

Stress & Focus: A common variant in the COMT gene that affects how quickly your brain clears dopamine - studied for its links to focus and how you handle stress.

Word Recall: A variant in the KIBRA gene, reported in some studies to track with how many words people recall in memory tests.

Back to All Traits

Content updated September 2026.

ReadYourDNA provides educational interpretation of DNA data you already have. It is not diagnostic, not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk to a clinician before acting on any result.

Raw DNA Data Reports for 23andMe & AncestryDNA · About ReadYourDNA · FAQ · Methodology & Science · Pricing · Support and complaints · Legal & Contact · Health Traits · Pharmacogenomics · Carrier Status · Variant Explorer · The Human Karyotype · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service · Accessibility · Consumer Health Data Privacy · Your Privacy Choices · Editorial Standards · Your Data, Checkable · Sample Report · ReadYourDNA and Promethease compared · What is inside a 23andMe raw data file · What is inside an AncestryDNA raw data file · What a chatbot can and cannot do with your raw DNA file · Where a raw DNA file can still be uploaded in 2026

Written, maintained and operated by Martin Pechhacker, sole proprietor, Vienna, Austria. Trade register GISA 40064420. support@readyourdna.com