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Oxytocin increases the likeability of physically formidable men
Chen, Frances S. Mayer, Jennifer Mussweiler, Thomas Heinrichs, Markus
Chen, Frances S.
Mayer, Jennifer
Mussweiler, Thomas
Heinrichs, Markus
Abstract
Physical size and strength are associated with dominance and threat. The current study tested (i) whether men’s evaluations of male strangers would be negatively influenced by cues indicating physical formidability, and (ii) whether these evaluations would be influenced by oxytocin, a neuropeptide that mediates social behavior and reduces social anxiety. In a placebo-controlled double-blind design, we administered either oxytocin (24 I.U.) or placebo intranasally to 100 healthy males and assessed their responses to an image of either a physically formidable (strong) or physically non-formidable (weak) male peer. Whereas participants receiving placebo expressed dislike and avoidance of the strong male relative to the weak male, oxytocin selectively improved social evaluation of the strong male. These results provide first evidence that oxytocin regulates social evaluation of peers based on body features indicating strength and formidability. We discuss the possibility that oxytocin may promote the expansion of social networks by increasing openness toward potentially threatening individuals.
Keywords
social perception, social evaluation, oxytocin, neuropeptides, body morphology
Date
2014
Type
Journal article
Journal
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
Book
Volume
10
Issue
6
Page Range
797-800
Article Number
ACU Department
School of Behavioural and Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
File Access
Controlled