Publication
Title
A registered replication study on oxytocin and trust
Author
Abstract
An influential 2005 study by Kosfeld et al. suggested that oxytocin increases trust in strangers. This registered replication study by some of the original authors found no effect of oxytocin on trusting behaviour under the same conditions. In an influential paper, Kosfeld et al. (2005) showed that intranasal administration of oxytocin (OT) increases the transfers made by investors in the trust game-suggesting that OT increases trust in strangers. Subsequent studies investigating the role of OT in the trust game found inconclusive effects on the trusting behaviour of investors but these studies deviated from the Kosfeld et al. study in an important way-they did not implement minimal social contact (MSC) between the investors and the trustees in the trust game. Here, we performed a large double-blind and placebo-controlled replication study of the effects of OT on trusting behaviour that yields a power of more than 95% and implements an MSC condition as well as a no-social-contact (NoC) condition. We find no effect of OT on trusting behaviour in the MSC condition. Exploratory post hoc analyses suggest that OT may increase trust in individuals with a low disposition to trust in the NoC condition, but this finding requires confirmation in future research.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Nature human behaviour
Publication
2020
ISSN
2397-3374
DOI
10.1038/S41562-020-0878-X
Volume/pages
4 :6 (2020) , p. 646-655
ISI
000538962700001
Pubmed ID
32514040
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
Trust and distrust in multi-level governance: causes, dynamics, and effects (GOVTRUST).
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 17.07.2020
Last edited 02.10.2024
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