Is empathy in your genes?

A new study claims that empathy can be found in your genes. Using a GWAS and data available through 23&me, scientists looked at the SNPs of ~46,000 people. They evaluated empathy based on the 'empathy quotient' (EQ) scores that are self-reported by users to examine cognitive empathy (i.e. the ability to understand others thoughts) and effective empathy (i.e. the ability to respond to other's emotions). There was a 10% difference in variants that could be attributed to empathy. Yet, how reliable are self-reporting personality surveys? How we see ourselves is often not how others see ourselves, and sometimes not how we truly are. So, can empathy really be genetically determined? Or any other human behavioral traits? 

- Elizabeth (Liz) Tapanes