Search Mediators Near You:

A Recent Finding on Oxytocin

In a recent experiment, Swiss Neuroscientists Beate Ditzen, Marcel Schaer, Barbara Gabriel, Guy Bodenmann, Ulrike Ehlert, and Markus Heinrichs found for the first time a direct connection between oxytocin and couple bonding in human subjects. The following summary is drawn from their research report.


In nonhuman mammals, the neuropeptide oxytocin has repeatedly been shown to increase social approach behavior and pair bonding. In particular, central nervous oxytocin reduces behavioral and neuroendocrine responses to social stress and is suggested to mediate the rewarding aspects of attachment in highly social species. However, to date there have been no studies investigating the effects of central oxytocin mechanisms on behavior and physiology in human couple interaction.


In a double-blind placebo-controlled design, 47 heterosexual couples received oxytocin or placebo intranasally before a standard instructed couple conflict discussion in the laboratory. The conflict session was videotaped and coded for verbal and nonverbal interaction behavior (e.g., eye contact, nonverbal positive behavior, and self-disclosure). Salivary cortisol was repeatedly measured during the experiment.


Oxytocin significantly increased positive communication behavior in relation to negative behavior during the couple conflict discussion and significantly reduced salivary cortisol levels after the conflict compared with placebo. These results are in line with animal studies indicating that central oxytocin facilitates approach and pair bonding behavior, implying an involvement of oxytocin in couple interaction and close relationships in humans.


[See BIOL PSYCHIATRY 2009; 65:728–731doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.10.011 © 2009 Society of Biological Psychiatry]

                        author

Kenneth Cloke

Kenneth Cloke is Director of the Center for Dispute Resolution and a mediator, arbitrator, consultant and trainer, specializing in resolving complex multi-party conflicts internationally and in designing conflict resolution systems for organizations. Ken is a nationally recognized speaker and leader in the field of conflict resolution, and a published author… MORE >

Featured Mediators

ad
View all

Read these next

Category

A Collaborative Process to Resolve International Business Disputes: Mediation Policy as a Global Business Model

From a global business perspective, today’s laws do not reflect the need for certainty and predictability of sound risk management. It is therefore a core objective for internationally acting businesses...

By Christiane Rosenbaum, David Weiss
Category

5 Powerful Interests That Influence What People Do

One theory behind interest-based bargaining is that parties to a conflict are more likely to agree to a solution that meets one or more of their most important interests. If...

By Tammy Lenski
Category

Money and Happiness: How Mediation can change your client’s outlook

There was an interesting article in September 12, 2016’s Wall Street Journal called: “Money and Happiness: A Surprising Twist.” In it, author Andrew Blackman, (who incidentally lives on the Island...

By Jan Frankel Schau

Find a Mediator

X
X
X