Human Empathy Linked with Genetic Variation

A study by scientists in the U.K., France, and the U.S. suggests that the degree of empathy we feel toward our fellow man is at least partly down to our genes. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) led by scientists at the University of Cambridge, U.K., found that about 10% of variability in self-reported empathy is associated with genetic factors. The study, involving more than 46,000 volunteers identified a link between genes associated with lower self-reported empathy and an increased risk o