hormones: Oxytocin

What do humans depend on?

The ability to function depends on the brain’s ability to communicate with the rest of the body, such as neurotransmitters and hormones, which are both chemicals

Neurotransmitter

Produced by neurons at synapses when triggered by an

electrical impulse

Hormone

Hormones act as chemical messengers that are released into the bloodstream to act as a messenger on an organ in another part of the body

Where are hormones released?

Hormones are released into the bloodstream, and from the bloodstream, they make their way into their organs, muscles, and other issues

Where are hormones produced?

Produced by endocrine glands

What are some types of hormones?

• Oxytocin (the one in the study)

• Testosterone

• Adrenaline 

• Ghrelin

• Cortisol

• Orexin

Oxytocin

 a natural hormone that manages key aspects of the female and male reproductive systems, including labour delivery and lactation, as well as aspects of human behaviour

Where is Oxytocin made?

the hypothalamus makes oxytocin

Hypothalamus

The hypothalamus is the part of your brain that controls functions like blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature and digestion.

Where is oxytocin stored?

 The posterior pituitary gland stores and releases it into your bloodstream.

What is Oxytocin responsible for?

Important role in many human behaviours and social interactions, like recognition, trust, Parent-infant bonding and Romantic attachment

What study is related to hormones?

Baumgartner et al. (2008)

What was the aim of the study Baumgartner et al. (2008)?

To investigate the role of oxytocin in creating trust.

Participants and groups of the study Baumgartner et al. (2008)

The study selected 49 participants to play a game of trust. Before the game, certain participants were to take oxytocin, while the others were given a placebo drug.

Results of the study Baumgartner et al. (2008)

Participants who received oxytocin in a nasal spray continued investing at similar rates even after being told their trust was broken, while those on a placebo decreased their trust. Brain scans showed less activity related to emotion and reward for oxytocin participants. The results only occurred in a trust game with people, not a risk game.

Conclusion of the study Baumgartner et al. (2008)

Oxytocin appears to decrease fear reactions that may arise due to human betrayal. Therefore, it decreases our ability to learn from mistakes made in trusting people.

limitations of the study of Baumgartner et al. (2008)

Trust game played in context o f fMRI machines could result in demand characteristics and minimise ecological validity.

methological considerations of Baumgartner et al. (2008)

Studies using fMRI machines run the risk of yielding a Type II error or false positive results. Brain scans are still open to interpretation and they should be analysed by professionals to minimise this risk.

Methodology of Baumgartner et al. (2008)

The participants were then placed in a fMRI scanner to begin the game. In this economic game, there is an investor known as Player One; Player One chooses if they will keep a certain amount of money or give some of it to a trustee known as Player Two. If the investor shares the money, the money becomes tripled. Next in the game player two decides if they will split the money that was tripled with player one because they were kind enough to share with them. While in the fMRI the researchers asked the trustee if the investor shared the sum of money with them to figure out their emotional fear response and if that increased or decreased their trust.