Oxytocin Receptor Gene Polymorphisms and Early Parental Bonding Interact in Shaping Instagram Social Behavior

Andrea Bonassi, Ilaria Cataldo, Giulio Gabrieli, Jia N. Foo, Bruno Lepri and Gianluca Esposito
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Andrea Bonassi: Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
Ilaria Cataldo: Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
Giulio Gabrieli: Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639818, Singapore
Jia N. Foo: Human Genetics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore 138672, Singapore
Bruno Lepri: Mobile and Social Computing Lab, Bruno Kessler Foundation, 38122 Trento, Italy
Gianluca Esposito: Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-20

Abstract: Human beings engage in multiple social interactions daily, both in person and online. There are, however, individual differences in the frequency and quality of these interactions. This exploratory study focuses on online interactions and aims to model these differences by looking at potential environmental and genetic factors. The environmental factor is the childhood parental relationship, as reported by the participants in the dimensions of the Parental Bonding Instrument ( N = 57, 41 females). At a genetic level, buccal mucosa cell samples were collected to assess participants’ genetic susceptibility, and OXTr regions rs2254298 (G/G homozygotes vs. A-carriers) and rs53576 (A/A homozygotes vs. G-carriers) were analyzed. To capture participants’ online activity, Instagram was probed. The number of people that the individual follows (“followings”), followers, and posts were used as a proxy for the quantity of interaction, and a Social Desirability Index (SDI) was computed as the ratio of followers to followings. An interaction between OXTr groups and parental bonding scores on the number of followings and posts was hypothesized. A gene-environment interaction for OXTr/rs2254298 on the number of Instagram posts was identified. In line with the hypothesis, participants with a genetic risk factor (A-carriers) and a history of low paternal care showed fewer Instagram posts than those without this risk factor (G/G genotype). Moreover, an interaction effect between maternal overprotection and OXTr/rs2254298 on the Instagram SDI was detected. These findings could represent an indirect pathway through which genes and parental behavior interact to shape social interactions on Instagram.

Keywords: gene*environment; parental care; parental overprotection; oxytocin receptor gene; rs2254298; rs53576; online behavior; Instagram; social network (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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