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Polymorphisms of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) have been linked to individual variations in human social behaviors, including maternal sensitivity, empathy, prosocial behavior, and recognition of affect. However, the evidence is not consistent, and a recent meta-analysis found no significant association between OXTR and empathetic aspects of personality or social behaviors. A recent study reported a significant association between performance on the Warrington Test of Recognition Memory for Faces and the SNP rs237887, but the validity of the Warrington test as a pure index of face recognition ability has been questioned.

A new study administered the Cambridge Face Memory Test, a purer test of face recognition, to 370 participants and found no significant association with rs237887 or with 16 other SNPs of OXTR, or with a further 75 imputed SNPs. The study also administered three other tests of face processing, but performance was never significantly associated with rs237887 or with any of the other genotyped or imputed SNPs. Additionally, no associations were found between OXTR and Autism-Spectrum Quotient scores. The study was well-powered to detect an association between face recognition and rs237887, suggesting that the failure to replicate the previous finding is convincing.