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Title
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Sexual dimorphism in oxytocin responses to health perception and disgust, with implications for theories on pathogen detection
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Author
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Abstract
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| In response to a recent hypothesis that the neuropeptide oxytocin might be involved in human pathogen avoidancemechanisms, we report the results of a study inwhichwe investigate the effect of intranasal oxytocin on two behaviors serving as proxies for pathogen detection. Participants received either oxytocin or a placebo and were asked to evaluate (1) the health of Caucasian male computer-generated pictures that varied in facial redness (an indicator of hemoglobin perfusion) and (2) a series of pictures depicting disgusting scenarios. Men, but not women, evaluated all faces, regardless of color, as less healthy when given oxytocin compared to a placebo.Women, on the other hand, expressed decreased disgustwhen given oxytocin compared to a placebo. These results suggest that intranasal oxytocin administration does not facilitate pathogen detection based on visual cues, but instead reveal clear sex differences in the perception of health and sickness cues. |
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Language
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English
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Source (journal)
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Hormones and behavior. - New York
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Publication
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New York
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2014
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ISSN
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0018-506X
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DOI
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10.1016/J.YHBEH.2014.04.010
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Volume/pages
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65
:5
(2014)
, p. 521-526
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ISI
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000336885000011
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Full text (Publisher's DOI)
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Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
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