AUTHOR=Nishina Kuniyuki , Takagishi Haruto , Takahashi Hidehiko , Sakagami Masamichi , Inoue-Murayama Miho 

TITLE=Association of Polymorphism of Arginine-Vasopressin Receptor 1A (AVPR1a) Gene With Trust and Reciprocity

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2019.00230

DOI=10.3389/fnhum.2019.00230

ISSN=1662-5161

ABSTRACT=<p>Oxytocin (OXT) is known to play an important role in trust, whereas the involvement of other peptide hormones has not been evaluated. In this study, we focused on microsatellite polymorphisms in the intron of the arginine-vasopressin receptor 1a (<italic>AVPR1a</italic>) gene and examined whether the association between the repeat lengths in the intron of <italic>AVPR1a</italic> is associated with trust and reciprocity in humans. Four-hundred and thirty-three participants played the trust game, answered the attitudinal trust question, and their buccal cells were collected. Results showed that men with a short form of <italic>AVPR1a</italic> tend to send more money to the opponent, even if there is a possibility of being betrayed by the opponent. Additionally, people with a short form of <italic>AVPR1a</italic> tended to return money to the opponent who trusts them. However, attitudinal trust was not associated with <italic>AVPR1a</italic>. These results indicate that arginine-vasopressin receptor 1a plays an important role in trust and reciprocal behaviors.</p>