title: Intranasal oxytocin enhances positive self-attribution in healthy men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A growing body of studies consistently demonstrates that social responsiveness toward others is influenced by the neurohormone oxytocin. However, the potential role of oxytocin for self-perception remains relatively unexplored. Thus, we investigated whether oxytocin administration influences the self-attribution of positive and negative adjectives at the early, effortful stage of self-related information processing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty healthy male participants received either 24I.U. oxytocin or a placebo in a randomized double-blind study before completing a sorting task, in which they were instructed to co-classify, as fast as possible, positive and negative adjectives into either self or non-self categories.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oxytocin-treated participants reported stronger positive attitudes toward themselves compared to placebo.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present findings demonstrate that oxytocin administration influences the early stage of self-related information processing and suggests that the oxytocinergic system might be involved in psychopathological conditions characterized by a negative representation of self.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological and Personality Psychology, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: valentina.colonnello@psychologie.uni-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Colonnello
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological and Personality Psychology, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany; Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: heinrichs@psychologie.uni-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heinrichs
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012649:Self Concept; D012938:Social Perception
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin
keywords: Intranasal; Oxytocin; Self; Social cognition