Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24396004›Full record

ArticleSocial cognitive and affective neuroscience2014

Evidence for a role of the oxytocin system, indexed by genetic variation in CD38, in the social bonding effects of expressed gratitude.

Sara B Algoe, Baldwin M Way

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
27citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
10.0field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

27 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 71 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Interparental Positivity Spillover Theory: How Parents' Positive Relational Interactions Influence Children.Perspectives on psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science · 2025
    Review
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  13. A role for theThe American journal of drug and alcohol abuse · 2020
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  15. The Oxytocin Receptor Gene (Frontiers in psychology · 2018
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Sara B AlgoeDepartment of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA, and Department of Psychology and the Ohio State Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 algoe@unc.edu.
Baldwin M WayDepartment of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA, and Department of Psychology and the Ohio State Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 algoe@unc.edu.
The Ohio State University · USUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · US

Funding

Health-Promoting Effects of Positive EmotionsR01MH059615 · NIMH · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI FREDRICKSON, BARBARA LEE · 2000 to 2008
$2.0M
The Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science (KL2)KL2TR000112 · NCATS · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · PI JACKSON, REBECCA D · 2012 to 2013
$855k
NCATS NIH HHS 8KL2TR000112-05NCATS NIH HHS KL2 TR000112NIMH NIH HHS MH59615NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH059615
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Oxytocin is thought to play a central role in promoting close social bonds via influence on social interactions. The current investigation targeted interactions involving expressed gratitude between members of romantic relationships because recent evidence suggests gratitude and its expression provides behavioral and psychological 'glue' to bind individuals closer together. Specifically, we took a genetic approach to test the hypothesis that social interactions involving expressed gratitude would be associated with variation in a gene, CD38, which has been shown to affect oxytocin secretion. A polymorphism (rs6449182) that affects CD38 expression was significantly associated with global relationship satisfaction, perceived partner responsiveness and positive emotions (particularly love) after lab-based interactions, observed behavioral expression of gratitude toward a romantic partner in the lab, and frequency of expressed gratitude in daily life. A separate polymorphism in CD38 (rs3796863) previously associated with plasma oxytocin levels and social engagement was also associated with perceived responsiveness in the benefactor after an expression of gratitude. The combined influence of the two polymorphisms was associated with a broad range of gratitude-related behaviors and feelings. The consistent pattern of findings suggests that the oxytocin system is associated with solidifying the glue that binds adults into meaningful and important relationships.

Indexed as

Interpersonal RelationsObject AttachmentAdolescentADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1AdultAnalysis of VarianceEmotionsFemaleGenotypeHumansMaleMiddle AgedObservationOxytocinPolymorphism, Single NucleotideRegression AnalysisADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1OxytocinRNA, MessengerCD38close relationshipsemotion expressiongratitudeoxytocin

Identifiers

PMID24396004
PMCPMC4249462
OpenAlexW2127471126

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.