title: Oxytocin biases men but not women to restore social connections with individuals who socially exclude them.
abstract: We normally react to individuals who exclude us socially by either avoiding them or increasing our attempts to interact with them. The neuropeptide oxytocin can promote social bonds and reduce social conflict and we therefore investigated whether it facilitates more positive social responses towards individuals who exclude or include us. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subject design 77 healthy Chinese male and female participants received intranasal oxytocin (40 IU) or placebo before playing a modified virtual ball-tossing game with three fictitious partners who either showed exclusion, inclusion or neutral behavioral interactions with them. Results showed that both male and female subjects threw the ball more often to individuals who excluded rather than included them, although oxytocin did not alter this or awareness/feelings of exclusion or inclusion. However, when subjects returned a week later males, but not females, in the oxytocin group exhibited an increased liking for, and preference for playing again with, players who had previously excluded them. This oxytocin effect was positively associated with independent traits. Our findings suggest that in a collectivist culture oxytocin may promote the desire of males, but not females, with a stronger independent orientation to rebuild social connections with individuals who have previously excluded them.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaolei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China.
authors.forename: Shuxia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China.
authors.forename: Yayuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China.
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaole
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China.
authors.forename: Ruixue
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China.
authors.forename: Keith M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kendrick
mesh_terms: D015982:Bias; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012919:Social Behavior; D012934:Social Isolation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin