title: Opposing effects of oxytocin on overt compliance and lasting changes to memory.
abstract: From infancy we learn to comply with societal norms. However, overt compliance is not necessarily accompanied by a change in internal beliefs. The neuromodulatory processes underlying these different phenomena are not yet understood. Here, we test the role of oxytocin in controlling overt compliance versus internalization of information delivered by a social source. After intranasal oxytocin administration, participants showed enhanced compliance to the erroneous opinion of others. However, this expression was coupled with a decrease in the influence of others on long-term memories. Our data suggest that this dissociation may result from reduced conflict in the face of social pressure, which increases immediate conforming behavior, but reduces processing required for deep encoding. These findings reveal a neurobiological control system that oppositely affects internalization and overt compliance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Micah G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Edelson
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shemesh
authors.affiliation: 1] Research Unit, Geha Mental Health Center and Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, Israel [2] Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weizman
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Neurobiology, the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel [2] Department of Psychiatry, Haemek General Hospital, Afula, Israel.
authors.forename: Shahak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yariv
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Perceptual and Brain Science, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Tali
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sharot
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Yadin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dudai
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000328:Adult; D001245:Association Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D003187:Compliance / Q000187:drug effects; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D057567:Memory, Long-Term / Q000187:drug effects*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012919:Social Behavior
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin