Empathy and self-regulation in prosocial accountability: Gender and genetic (OXTR SNP rs53576) pathways

Abstract

Empathy and self-regulation play key roles in prosocial accountability. Meta-analytic evidence for empathy—in relation to gender and a particular genetic variable (OXTR SNP rs53576)–guided design and power analysis to determine the size of this United States sample. We assessed 311 participants (51.4% female; 19% racial or ethnic minority). We conducted tests of hypothesized indirect effects of gender and genotype through empathy to trait and state accountability–reporting replication and extension tests of gratitude, forgivingness and relational repair in a supplement (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/KZDF8). Gender tests controlled for SNP group and vice versa. Gender had indirect effects on accountability via empathy (higher in women than men). SNP group indirect effects on accountability via empathy (higher in GGs than A-carriers) showed roles of gender, race/ethnicity and self-regulation. SNP group also had indirect effects on accountability through self-regulation (higher in A-carriers than GGs). Findings underscore empathy and self-regulation in relational accountability and positive psychology.