The Hormone of Love and Hate

Nicky Blackburn

According to a new study by an Israeli researcher the

'love' hormone oxytocin, that controls behaviors such as
trust and empathy, also affects negative behaviors like
jealousy and gloating.
It has been known for some time that the oxytocin
hormone has an impact on positive feelings. The
hormone is released in the body naturally during
childbirth and sex. But the study by Dr. Simone Shamay-
Tsoory of the University of Haifa also shows that this
hormone has an impact on antisocial behaviors.
"Subsequent to these findings, we assume that the
hormone is an overall trigger for social sentiments: When
the person's association is positive, oxytocin bolsters pro-
social behaviors; when the association is negative, the
hormone increases negative sentiments," says Shamay-
Tsoory.
According to a new study by an Israeli researcher the
'love' hormone oxytocin, that controls behaviors such as
trust and empathy, also affects negative behaviors like
jealousy and gloating.
It has been known for some time that the oxytocin
hormone has an impact on positive feelings. The
hormone is released in the body naturally during
childbirth and sex. But the study by Dr. Simone Shamay-
Tsoory of the University of Haifa also shows that this
hormone has an impact on antisocial behaviors.
"Subsequent to these findings, we assume that the
hormone is an overall trigger for social sentiments: When
the person's association is positive, oxytocin bolsters pro-
social behaviors; when the association is negative, the
hormone increases negative sentiments," says Shamay-
Tsoory.
Fifty-six volunteers took part in Shamay-Tsoory's study,
which was published recently in the journal of Biological
Psychiatry. Half of the participants inhaled the synthetic
form of the hormone in the first session and were given a
placebo in the second, while the others received a
placebo in the first session and oxytocin in the second.
Envy and gloating
After receiving the hormone, participants were asked to
play a game of luck against a competitor. The competitor
was actually a computer, but none of the volunteers knew
this.
The study found that volunteers who inhaled oxytocin
showed higher levels of envy when their opponent won
more money, and gloated more when they were in the
lead, than those who had not inhaled the hormone.
In earlier studies, researchers discovered that subjects
who inhaled the synthetic form of the hormone showed
higher levels of altruistic feelings, and some hoped it
could be used as a medication for people with disorders
like autism.
"The results of the present study show that the
hormone's undesirable effects on behavior must be
examined before moving ahead," Shamay-Tsoory
concludes.
Nicky Blackburn is editor of Israel 21c from where this
article is adapted.