hormones SRQ

What do humans do humans depend on

Our 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 chemical mensagers

Neurotransmitter

Produced by neurons at synapses when they get triggered by an electrical impulse

Hormones

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

They make their way into our organs, muscles and other tissues. They have a slower effect on behaviour however it is a more sustained effect

Where are hormones produced?

Endocrine glands

Types of hormones

• Oxytocin

• Testosterone

• Adrenaline

• Cheering

• Cortisol

• Orexin

Oxytocin

A natural hormone that manages key aspects of the female and male reproductive system, including labour delivery and lactation as well as aspects of human behaviours

Where is oxytocin made?

The hypothalamus which makes oxygen

Hypothalamus

Is a 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 blood stream

Human behaviour oxytocin is responsible for

Recognition, trust, parent-infant bonding and romantic attachment

name of the study

Baumgartner et al (2008)

Aim of the study

To investigate the role of oxytocin in creating trust

Method of the study

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. 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

Results of the study

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

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.