Rutuja Borawke, Research fellow at CSIR-IGIB, MSc Biotechnology (MES Abasaheb Garware College, Pune)
Recent studies have shown the genetic linkage between polymorphisms in oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), adult attachment, and Instagram sociability stating that vulnerabilities on OXTR from various environmental factors might affect our (online) social behavior.
OXTR and alleles:
Oxytocin, popularly known as the ‘love hormone, is a brain hormone that contributes to signaling pathways involved in the female reproduction system, love, and relationships. Oxytocin also plays a crucial role in in-person socialization, emotional development in infants, and overall human development. Higher oxytocin levels could increase social interactions and reduce cases of anxiety and stress.
Previously, scientists have been focusing on genes that regulate the level of oxytocin- especially by OXTR. This time authors, from the University of Trento, Italy, and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, have assessed the genetic factors within the regions, namely OXTR/rs53576 and OXTR/rs2254298, as they’ve been shown to predict parenting behaviors and attachment. Alleles of these regions show opposite attachment styles between infant and parent, for eg. the G allele of OXTR/rs53576 relates with increased responsiveness amongst parents whereas, on the other hand, the same allele on OXTR/rs2254298 region is associated with lower oxytocin level and hence less parental connection.
This suggests these SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms with OXTR/rs53576 & OXTR/rs2254298) are favorable candidates of genetic modulation for social behavior and cognition. Previous studies have reported that people with the G allele of OXTR/rs53576 seek more social support as compared to the A allele. Higher marital satisfaction is observed in individuals having G/G genotype than A allele carriers. On other hand, G/G genotype for OXTR/rs2254298 is highly associated with separation anxiety and depression, female G/G reveal less attachment anxiety issues than A carriers, and male G/G exhibited fewer autism-associated traits than the A allele.
Environment and OXTR
Environmental cues such as familiar education, parental bonds, and adult attachment styles play an important role in regulating the in-person and online socialization of an individual. Relationship patterns between peers say a lot about influences or experiences in the early life during infancy and childhood. Facts show that people who adjust better in marriages, manifest positive physical and mental health as well as better marital satisfaction as compared to low-quality marriages.
The Social Salience Hypothesis of Oxytocin, by the University of Birmingham, mentions several, distinct social behavior patterns associated with OXTR alleles concerning social and environmental factors. The Differential Susceptibility model features the susceptible ‘plasticity genes’ to the surroundings that include OXTR as well. Specific alleles not only show adverse effects on mood and behavior if brought upon a negative environment but also experience benefits from a healthy ecosystem.
Online socialization
The increasing use of social networks sites (SNSs) namely, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter for a decade has allowed researchers to examine virtual social interactions, along with in-person interactions. The digital environment is shared within large communities, allowing us to socialize with a group of people from a different continent. Among several SNSs, Instagram has allowed investigating online sociability, where people connect using pictures, videos, and texts. Posting, following/unfollowing, chatting, etc. actively has caused to impact lives positively (decreased feeling of withdrawal, especially in the pandemic situation and increased inspiration or motivation) as well as negatively, usually linking to poorer mental health outcomes on users. Although the mechanisms of offline and online are still unknown, this exploratory analysis focuses on the potential interaction between environmental effects and genetic factors related to adult relationships with (intimate) partners.
Instagram variables studied were:
- Number of posts
- Number of followed people
- Number of followers
‘Social Desirability Index’ (SDI) was calculated as the ratio of followers to followings (followed people), which results in interpreting higher values of SDI as greater online sociability. Regardless of the gender, researchers hypothesized that OXTR/rs2254298 A-carriers and OXTR/rs53576 G-carriers may show a higher number of posts and SDI scores when they are involved in a healthy relationship with their partners compared to other allelic individuals. Similarly, these carriers of both regions of OXTR might show a lower number of posts and SDI when in an unfavorable relationship with their intimate partners compared to other allelic individuals. This raises the question if people with these allelic regions socialize the same in–person and must engage more people across the genotype.
These studies should be further taken into consideration along with other physical and virtual environmental parameters for solid scientific pieces of evidence.
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References:
- Carollo, A., Bonassi, A., Cataldo, I., Gabrieli, G., Tandiono, M., Foo, J. N., Lepri, B., & Esposito, G. (2021). The relation between oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms, adult attachment and Instagram sociability: An exploratory analysis. Heliyon, 7(9), e07894. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07894
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