title: A general approach-avoidance hypothesis of oxytocin: accounting for  social and non-social effects of oxytocin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We critically reexamine extant theory and empirical study of Oxytocin. We question whether OT is, in fact, a "social neuropeptide" as argued in dominant theories of OT.
  
  
  METHODS
  We critically review human and animal research on the social and non-social effects of Oxytocin, including behavioral, psychophysiological, neurobiological, and neuroimaging studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We find that extant (social) theories of Oxytocin do not account for well-documented non-social effects of Oxytocin. Furthermore, we find a range of evidence that social and non-social effects of Oxytocin may be mediated by core approach-avoidance motivational processes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We propose a General Approach-avoidance Hypothesis of Oxytocin (GAAO). We argue that the GAAO may provide a parsimonious account of established social and non-social effects of Oxytocin. We thus re-conceptualize the basic function(s) and mechanism(s) of action of Oxytocin. Finally, we highlight implications of the GAAO for basic and clinical research in humans
authors.forename: Osnat
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Harari-Dahan
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bernstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000502:physiology*; D012919:Social Behavior
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin