Oxytocin increases gaze to the eye region of human faces
Abstract
Background In nonhuman mammals, oxytocin has a critical role in peer recognition and social approach behavior. In humans, oxytocin has been found to enhance trust and the ability to interpret the emotions of others. It has been suggested that oxytocin may enhance facial processing by increasing focus on the eye region of human faces.Methods In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, between-subject design, we tracked the eye movements of 52 healthy male volunteers who were presented with 24 neutral human faces after intranasal administration of 24 IU oxytocin or placebo.Results Participants given oxytocin showed an increased number of fixations and total gaze time toward the eye region compared with placebo participants.Conclusions Oxytocin increases gaze specifically toward the eye region of human faces. This may be one mechanism by which oxytocin enhances emotion recognition, interpersonal communication, and social approach behavior in humans. Findings suggest a possible role for oxytocin in the treatment of disorders characterized by eye-gaze avoidance and facial processing deficits.
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Intranasal oxytocin administration increases bonding-related behavior, including gaze to the eye region, interpersonal trust and empathy, and social cognition.
“In humans, intranasal administration of OT was found to increase bonding-related behavior, including gaze to eye region (Guastella et al., 2008), interpersonal trust and empathy (Hurlemann et al., 2010; Kosfeld et al., 2005), and social cognition (Kirsch et al., 2005).”
From Oxytocin during the initial stages of romantic attachment: Relations to couples’ interactive reciprocity (2012) · cites this paper as Guastella et al., 2008
OXT increases gaze directed at the eyes of others.
“Furthermore, OXT is known to increase gaze directed at the eyes of others (Guastella et al., 2008)”
From Oxytocin Modulates Social Distance between Males and Females (2012) · cites this paper as Guastella et al., 2008
Giving either an oxytocin-antagonist or a vasopressin antagonist blocked oxytocin-induced partner preferences in male prairie voles.
“Conversely, giving either an OT-antagonist or a vasopressin antagonist blocked OT-induced partner preferences [54].”
From Oxytocin and the Neural Mechanisms Regulating Social Cognition and Affiliative Behavior (2009) · cites this paper as [54]
IN-OXT has been shown in an increasing number of studies to change social visual attention in non-clinical populations of humans.
“IN-OXT has also been shown in an increasing number of studies to change social visual attention in non-clinical populations of humans77–81.”
From Effect of age and autism spectrum disorder on oxytocin receptor density in the human basal forebrain and midbrain (2018) · cites this paper as [80]
Oxytocin has been shown to increase gaze toward the eye region of neutral faces.
“OXT has been shown to increase gaze toward the eye-region of neutral faces (Guastella, Mitchell, & Dadds, 2008)”
From Oxytocin increases attention to the eyes and selectively enhances self-reported affective empathy for fear (2017) · cites this paper as Guastella, Mitchell, & Dadds, 2008
Oxytocin might improve prosocial behavior by increasing attention to socially relevant cues.
“Such findings have led to the suggestion that OXT might improve prosocial behavior by increasing attention to socially relevant cues (Guastella et al., 2008).”
From Oxytocin increases attention to the eyes and selectively enhances self-reported affective empathy for fear (2017) · cites this paper as Guastella et al., 2008
The acute increase in pro-social behavior, specifically time spent in contact, in male prairie voles following intranasal oxytocin resembles findings in many human studies.
“The acute effects of intranasal OT that we found here resemble those found in many human studies, consisting of an increase in pro-social behavior and engagement (specifically time spent in contact in males)(13,15,64–66).”
From Chronic intranasal oxytocin causes long-term impairments in partner preference formation in male prairie voles (2013) · cites this paper as [64]
Similar doses of oxytocin have been administered to subjects in previous studies of social functioning.
“Similar doses of OT have been administered to subjects in previous studies of social functioning (Andari et al., 2010; Feifel et al., 2010; Guastella et al., 2008; Hollander et al., 2007; Ditzen et al., 2009).”
From Effects of intranasal oxytocin on social anxiety in males with fragile X syndrome (2012) · cites this paper as Guastella et al., 2008
Previous studies have employed simulated social games and static social photographs to evaluate the effects of oxytocin on social behaviors.
“Previous studies have employed simulated social games (Andari et al., 2010; Kosfeld et al., 2005), and static social photographs (Guastella et al., 2008) to evaluate the effects of OT on social behaviors.”
From Effects of intranasal oxytocin on social anxiety in males with fragile X syndrome (2012) · cites this paper as Guastella et al., 2008
A common view is that oxytocin alters how social signals in the external environment are processed, encoded, and/or interpreted.
“While the mechanism by which oxytocin facilitates prosocial behavior is unknown, a common view is that oxytocin alters how social signals in the external environment are processed, encoded, and/or interpreted (Bartz et al., 2010a; Ellenbogen, Linnen, Grumet, Cardoso, & Joober, 2012; Guastella, Mitchell, & Dadds, 2008; Marsh, Yu, Pine, & Blair, 2010; Theodoridou, Rowe, Penton-Voak, & Rogers, 2009).”
From Acute intranasal oxytocin improves positive self-perceptions of personality (2012) · cites this paper as Guastella, Mitchell, & Dadds, 2008
Intranasal OXT administration in healthy humans improves social and emotion recognition.
“improving social and emotion recognition (Domes et al, 2007b;Guastella et al, 2008;Rimmele et al, 2009)”
From Chronic and acute intranasal oxytocin produce divergent social effects in mice (2014) · cites this paper as Guastella et al, 2008
Intranasal oxytocin has beneficial effects on performance on tests assessing social cognition and gaze to the eye region.
“Research on humans has shown beneficial effects of intranasal oxytocin on performance on tests assessing social cognition2 and gaze to the eye region3.”
From Oxytocin pathway gene networks in the human brain (2019) · cites this paper as [3]
Intranasal oxytocin administration modulates emotion processing.
“These results are also consistent with a growing body of research indicating that intranasal oxytocin administration modulates emotion processing2,3,53,54”
From Oxytocin pathway gene networks in the human brain (2019) · cites this paper as [3]
IN-OT increases gaze time or visual fixation toward the eye region and the face.
“IN-OT increases gaze time or visual fixation toward the eye region and the face (Auyeung et al. 2015; Domes et al. 2013; Guastella et al. 2008).”
From A precision medicine approach to oxytocin trials (2017) · cites this paper as Guastella et al. 2008
Oxytocin has been shown to enhance memory for happy faces relative to angry and neutral faces.
“For instance, oxytocin has been shown to enhance memory for happy faces relative to angry and neutral faces (Guastella et al., 2008).”
From Oxytocin, motivation and the role of dopamine (2014) · cites this paper as Guastella et al., 2008
Dadds and colleagues found no significant differential improvements from four consecutive daily doses of oxytocin compared to placebo in male children with ASD, but it remains unclear whether the lack of effect was due to the complicated study design.
“No significant differential improvements were observed on changes in parent or experimenter reports of symptoms, or on observed behaviours during interactions.However, it remains unclear whether a lack of effect in this study may be due to the complicated study design.”
From Beyond the hype and hope: critical considerations for intranasal oxytocin research in autism spectrum disorder (2017) · cites this paper as [51]
Four randomized placebo-controlled trials of children and adolescents have employed oxytocin dosages stratified by weight or age.
“Guided by other pharmaceutical trials, four randomized placebo-controlled trials of children and adolescents have employed dosages stratified by weight or age.38,49,51,54”
From Beyond the hype and hope: critical considerations for intranasal oxytocin research in autism spectrum disorder (2017) · cites this paper as [51]
A succession of studies reported modest improvements in social cognition after use of nasal oxytocin spray in both neurotypical and psychiatric populations.
“A succession of studies reported modest improvements in social cognition after use of nasal oxytocin spray in both neurotypical16, 17, 18 and psychiatric19, 20, 21 populations”
Intranasal OT in humans increases time spent visually inspecting the eye region of faces compared to placebo.
“Following intranasal OT (Syntocinon spray, Novartis), humans spend more time visually inspecting the eye region of faces compared to placebo (i.e., all inactive ingredients except for the peptide) (Gamer et al., 2010; Guastella et al., 2008).”
From Oxytocin and social cognition in rhesus macaques: Implications for understanding and treating human psychopathology (2014) · cites this paper as Guastella et al., 2008
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Guastella, A. J., Mitchell, P. B., & Dadds, M. R.
- Affiliations
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Guastella, Adam J.
- Venue
- Biological Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2008-01
- Volume
- 63
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 3-5
- ISSN
- 0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2025147744
- Cited by
- 798
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 36 · 2018: 59 · 2017: 52 · 2016: 58 · 2015: 61 · 2014: 67 · 2013: 81 · 2012: 63
- FWCI
- 46.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
- Keywords
- oxytocin, eye movements, fixation, gaze time, emotion recognition, social approach behavior, intranasal administration, interpersonal communication
- MeSH terms
- Administration, Intranasal, Adolescent, Adult, Analysis of Variance, Attention, Double-Blind Method, Emotions, Face, Facial Expression, Fixation, Ocular, Humans, Male, Oxytocin, Pattern Recognition, Visual, Photic Stimulation
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