Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
10301561 | Hormones and Behavior | 2005 | 6 Pages |
Abstract
Human beings exhibit substantial interpersonal trust-even with strangers. The neuroactive hormone oxytocin facilitates social recognition in animals, and we examine if oxytocin is related to trustworthiness between humans. This paper reports the results of an experiment to test this hypothesis, where trust and trustworthiness are measured using the sequential anonymous “trust game” with monetary payoffs. We find that oxytocin levels are higher in subjects who receive a monetary transfer that reflects an intention of trust relative to an unintentional monetary transfer of the same amount. In addition, higher oxytocin levels are associated with trustworthy behavior (the reciprocation of trust). Absent intentionality, both the oxytocin and behavioral responses are extinguished. We conclude that perceptions of intentions of trust affect levels of circulating oxytocin.
Related Topics
Life Sciences
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Endocrinology
Authors
Paul J. Zak, Robert Kurzban, William T. Matzner,