London: Does oxytocin, dubbed the love hormone, also foster trust?
Psychological scientist Moïra Mikolajczak from the Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium, and colleagues investigated this possibility. In this experiment, volunteers received either a placebo or oxytoxin nasal spray.
Then, they played a trust game in which they received a certain amount of money which they could share with a partner (which would then triple), according to a Université catholique de Louvain statement.
The partner then decides what to do with the money - they can keep it all for themselves or split the amount with the giver.
If the volunteer is trusting, they will share more money with their partner (in the hopes of having some of it returned to them) than volunteers who are not as trusting.
The participants played the trust game against a computer and virtual partners (which were supposedly in another room).
The results, reported in Psychological Science, showed that volunteers who received oxytoxin nasal spray offered more money to the computer and the reliable partner than did volunteers who received the placebo nasal spray.
However, the `love hormone` did not have an effect when it came to sharing with a seemingly unreliable partner-the volunteers were not generous towards a potentially unreliable partner, regardless of which nasal spray they received.
These findings suggest that oxytoxin fosters trust, but not gullibility.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.