Empathy for animals could be hardwired into your DNA, according to a study by researchers at the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute and Scotland’s Rural College. The 2018 study, published in the journal Animals, showed that people who display a greater-than-average compassion for animals are genetically different than those who don’t. This is the first study to show that a particular variation of the gene that produces oxytocin is associated with higher levels of empathy for animals.
Source: AAHA NEWStat, July 26, 2022. Link.
Female participants displayed more empathy toward animals than males, and both pet ownership and working in the animal care profession were associated with higher levels of empathy toward animals.
INSIGHTS: Kudos to the NEWStat team for contacting the researchers to determine if there could be any link between the oxytocin gene variant and a tendency toward compassion fatigue. Great question . . . but too early to know.