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Intranasal Oxytocin Increases Positive Communication and Reduces Cortisol Levels During Couple Conflict
Open accessAbstract
Background In nonhuman mammals, the neuropeptide oxytocin has repeatedly been shown to increase social approach behavior and pair bonding. In particular, central nervous oxytocin reduces behavioral and neuroendocrine responses to social stress and is suggested to mediate the rewarding aspects of attachment in highly social species. However, to date there have been no studies investigating the effects of central oxytocin mechanisms on behavior and physiology in human couple interaction. Methods In a double-blind placebo-controlled design, 47 heterosexual couples (total n = 94) received oxytocin or placebo intranasally before a standard instructed couple conflict discussion in the laboratory. The conflict session was videotaped and coded for verbal and nonverbal interaction behavior (e.g., eye contact, nonverbal positive behavior, and self-disclosure). Salivary cortisol was repeatedly measured during the experiment. Results Oxytocin significantly increased positive communication behavior in relation to negative behavior during the couple conflict discussion (F = 4.18, p = .047) and significantly reduced salivary cortisol levels after the conflict compared with placebo (F = 7.14, p = .011). Conclusions These results are in line with animal studies indicating that central oxytocin facilitates approach and pair bonding behavior. Our findings imply an involvement of oxytocin in couple interaction and close relationships in humans.
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In the citing paper
“The hypothalamic peptide oxytocin (OXT) is released during partner contact (Grewen, Girdler, Amico, & Light, 2005) and contributes to the maintenance of long-term relationships (Ditzen et al., 2009;Kreuder et al., 2017;Scheele et al., 2013).”
From Oxytocin enhances the pain‐relieving effects of social support in romantic couples (2019) · cites this paper as Ditzen et al., 2009
In the citing paper
“Underlying human romantic attachment is a collection of interlocking brain systems that are hypothesized to have evolved to suit the reproductive needs of our ancestors.”
From The Medicalization of Love (2015) · cites this paper as [24]
In the citing paper
“Brain chemicals such as oxytocin, dopamine, testosterone, and many others seem to regulate our interpersonal drives and emotions, including the formation of romantic pair-bonds.”
From The Medicalization of Love (2015) · cites this paper as [24]
In the citing paper
“Although love is not simply reducible to these brain chemicals or pathways—and although there are many different theories of love, including how it should be defined—what is clear by now is that these underlying phenomena do much to shape (as well as to respond to) our higher-level romantic experiences, across a wide range of theoretical conceptions.”
From The Medicalization of Love (2015) · cites this paper as [24]
In the citing paper
“In one study, Swiss researchers showed that nasally inhaled oxytocin can reduce stress levels and promote more positive communication between couples engaged in an argument (Ditzen et al. 2009).”
From Natural Selection, Childrearing, and the Ethics of Marriage (and Divorce): Building a Case for the Neuroenhancement of Human Relationships (2012) · cites this paper as Ditzen et al. 2009
In the citing paper
“Acevedo et al. (2011) found higher activations among romantically attached individuals in regions implicated in pair-bonding in monogamous rodents, and OT administration has shown to increase couples’ positive communication (Ditzen et al., 2009).”
From Oxytocin during the initial stages of romantic attachment: Relations to couples’ interactive reciprocity (2012) · cites this paper as Ditzen et al., 2009
In the citing paper
“Intranasal administration of OXT increases ratings of facial attractiveness (27), positive communication behavior during couple conflicts (28)”
From Oxytocin enhances brain reward system responses in men viewing the face of their female partner (2013) · cites this paper as [28]
In the citing paper
“Intranasal OT was also found to increase positive behavior during couple conflict in both male and female partners (Ditzen et al, 2009).”
From Vasopressin and oxytocin receptor systems in the brain: Sex differences and sex-specific regulation of social behavior (2016) · cites this paper as Ditzen et al, 2009
In the citing paper
“Also, Ditzen et al. (2009) showed that administering 40 IU of intranasal oxytocin increased positive communication during and decreased salivary cortisol after couple conflict in both men and women.”
From Endogenous peripheral oxytocin measures can give insight into the dynamics of social relationships: a review (2014) · cites this paper as Ditzen et al., 2009
In the citing paper
“reduce negative behavior during couple conflict (19,20)”
From Oxytocin and the development of parenting in humans (2010) · cites this paper as [20]
In the citing paper
“Interestingly, in a study involving couples engaged in a conflict discussion, salivary cortisol levels were also found to decrease following intranasal administration of 40 IU OT (Ditzen et al., 2009).”
From Effects of intranasal oxytocin on social anxiety in males with fragile X syndrome (2012) · cites this paper as Ditzen et al., 2009
In the citing paper
“Research suggests the experimental manipulation of oxytocin facilitates positive interactions, cooperation and trust.”
From Acute intranasal oxytocin improves positive self-perceptions of personality (2012) · cites this paper as Ditzen et al., 2009
In the citing paper
“only scales related to social behavior were altered by the administration of intranasal oxytocin relative to a placebo, with the exception of openness to experiences.”
From Acute intranasal oxytocin improves positive self-perceptions of personality (2012) · cites this paper as Ditzen et al., 2009
In the citing paper
“While most studies examine the effects of oxytocin 45 minutes after administration (Ditzen et al., 2009; Kosfeld et al., 2005)”
From Acute intranasal oxytocin improves positive self-perceptions of personality (2012) · cites this paper as Ditzen et al., 2009
In the citing paper
“More recently, studies in humans have demonstrated that OXT administration increases pro-social behaviors like trust, empathy, and willingness to take social risks (Kosfeld et al, 2005), whereas dampening psychophysiological responses to stressors (Ditzen et al, 2009).”
From Oxytocin modulation of amygdala functional connectivity to fearful faces in generalized social anxiety disorder (2015) · cites this paper as Ditzen et al, 2009
In the citing paper
“It has been shown, for example, that the peptide enhances positive communication in relation to negative behavior during couple conflicts and reduces cortisol saliva levels after the conflict (82).”
From Dissecting the Role of Oxytocin in the Formation and Loss of Social Relationships (2016) · cites this paper as [82]
In the citing paper
“positive communication between couples (24)”
From Oxytocin administration to parent enhances infant physiological and behavioral readiness for social engagement (2012) · cites this paper as [24]
In the citing paper
“Additionally, other researchers have reported reductions in stress hormones following oxytocin administration in stressful situations without reductions in subjective anxiety measures (Cardoso et al., in press; Ditzen et al., 2009; Linnen et al., 2012).”
From Effect of oxytocin on craving and stress response in marijuana-dependent individuals: A pilot study (2013) · cites this paper as Ditzen et al., 2009
In the citing paper
“IN-OT increases the rating of attractiveness of partners’ faces (Scheele et al. 2013), reduces conflict between couples (Ditzen et al. 2009), and enhances the distance between pair bonded men and unfamiliar attractive individuals (Scheele et al. 2012).”
From A precision medicine approach to oxytocin trials (2017) · cites this paper as Ditzen et al. 2009
In the citing paper
“A more dominant theory of OT's effects on social cognition suggests that it increases approach toward and decreases avoidance of social stimuli [20], [18], [21], [22]”
From A direct examination of the effect of intranasal administration of oxytocin on approach-avoidance motor responses to emotional stimuli (2013) · cites this paper as [20]
In the citing paper
“Peripheral or nasal administration of OT facilitates social recognition and trust in healthy humans (Guastella et al., 2008a andb, 2009;Ditzen et al., 2009) and increases eye contact and recognition in autistic subjects (Hollander et al., 2007;Yamasue et al., 2009).”
From Two genetic variants of CD38 in subjects with autism spectrum disorder and controls (2010) · cites this paper as Ditzen et al., 2009
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In the paper
“Lerner, 2005, Facial expressions of emotion reveal neuroendocrine and cardiovascular stress responses, Biol Psychiatry, 58, 743, 10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.08.011”
Cited work 10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.08.011 · retracted 2007-01-12 · notice 10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.11.002 · this paper published 2009-05
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“Some studies find OT increases positive communication and reduces HPA axis dysregulation in normative samples (Algoe et al., 2017; Ditzen et al., 2013; Ditzen et al., 2009; Gouin et al., 2010; Kruger et al., 2018).”
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“Because cortisol and oxytocin have antagonistic effects (e.g., Ditzen et al., 2009; Heinrichs, Baumgartner, Kirschbaum, & Ehlert, 2003), careful consideration of a listener’s music preference, in addition to manipulation of music features, is indispensable to develop a clear picture on music’s…”
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“145,146 In addition, Oxt might also reduce the sensitivity to stressful stimuli by reducing amygdala activity.”
Effects of oxytocin administration and conditioned oxytocin on brain activity: An fMRI study
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“Particularly, oxytocin has been shown to reduce amygdala activation in response to aversive [14] and painful stimuli [20], which can be an underlying mechanism of stress reducing [21] and analgesic [22] effects of oxytocin described in previous research.”
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“, 2015), facilitated positive social communication (Ditzen et al., 2009), increased generosity in the ultimatum game but not in the dictator game (Zak et al.”
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Petereit, P., Rinn, C., Stemmler, G., & Mueller, E. M. (2019) · Biological Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.05.002 · Cited by 15
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“In addition, other studies in humans indicated that OXT could increase social memory, social recognition, gaze-to-eye regions, perceptions of trustworthiness and attractiveness, empathy, and cooperation within one’s own group (Kosfeld et al., 2005; Baumgartner et al., 2008; Guastella et al., 2008a,b; Unkelbach et al.,…”
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“Also, oxytocin significantly increased positive communication behavior in relation to negative behavior during a couple conflict discussion and significantly reduced salivary cortisol levels after the conflict, when compared with placebo (Ditzen et al., 2009).”
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“…during the conflict discussion, we consistently found positive effects of hand-holding during and after conflict discussions, which is in line with previous research (Debrot et al., 2013; Ditzen et al., 2007, 2009; Feldman, 2012; Grewen et al., 2003; Jakubiak & Feeney, 2019; Light et al., 2005).”
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“Oxytocin dosing was based on previous work using similar doses of 40 IUs in human laboratory studies (Ditzen et al., 2009; McRae-Clark, Baker, Maria, & Brady, 2013).”
MethodMengoli, M., Oliva, J. L., Mendonça, T., Chabaud, C., Arroub, S., Lafont‐Lecuelle, C., Cozzi, A., Pageat, P., & Bienboire‐Frosini, C. (2021) · Animals · doi:10.3390/ani11092594 · Cited by 14
Effects of intranasal oxytocin and positive couple interaction on immune factors in skin wounds
Ditzen, B., Aguilar‐Raab, C., Winter, F., Hernández, C., Schneider, E., Bodenmann, G., Heinrichs, M., Ehlert, U., & Läuchli, S. (2022) · Brain Behavior and Immunity · doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2022.08.011 · Cited by 11
“Our own research focusing on romantic couples suggests that intranasal OT increased positive interaction behavior and reduced cortisol levels to instructed couple conflict in the laboratory (Ditzen et al., 2009), affected emotional and sympathetic responses in a sex-dependent manner (Ditzen et al.”
BackgroundResultSelf-citationTreating Human Trauma with the Help of Animals
Tedeschi, P. J., Sisa, M. L., Olmert, M. D., Parish-Plass, N., & Yount, R. A. (2015) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-801292-5.00022-5 · Cited by 14
“There is a growing body of evidence that increasing oxytocin can improve communication, reduce conflict between spouses (Ditzen et al., 2009), and help parents be more engaged with children (Feldman et al., 2010).”
BackgroundThe effect of oxytocin on group formation and strategic thinking in men
Aydogan, G., Jobst, A., Loy, F., Dehning, S., Zill, P., Müller, N., & Kocher, M. G. (2018) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.02.003 · Cited by 13
“…enhances the tendency to engage in collaborative decision-making and group formation by promoting pro-sociality (MacDonald and MacDonald, 2010), trust (Kosfeld et al., 2005), a willingness to positively resolve disagreements (Ditzen et al., 2009) and to cooperate with others (De Dreu et al., 2010).”
BackgroundInfluentialCheong, R. Y., Tonetto, S., von Hörsten, S., & Petersén, Å. (2020) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104773 · Cited by 11
“The results of the current study support the notion that the oxytocin-vasopressin balance system is tightly regulated but vulnerable and any subtle disruption to this balance during early development might manifest in emotional deficits during later life (Dolen et al., 2013; Nardou et al., 2019).”
ResultStanić, D., Oved, K., Israel‐Elgali, I., Jukić, M. M., Batinić, B., Puškaš, N., Shomron, N., Gurwitz, D., & Pešić, V. (2021) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105234 · Cited by 12
D’Aniello, B., Mastellone, V., Pinelli, C., Scandurra, A., Musco, N., Tudisco, R., Pero, M. E., Infascelli, F., Lucrezia, A. D., & Lombardi, P. (2022) · Animals · doi:10.3390/ani12030276 · Cited by 12
Hormonal Changes Analysis by Effects of Horses Assisted Therapy in the Autistic Population
Sánchez, C. T., Castro, F. V., Herrera, S. S., & Juánez, J. C. (2014) · Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.04.282 · Cited by 11
Moral Enhancement: What Is It and Do We Want It?
Pacholczyk, A. (2011) · Law Innovation and Technology · doi:10.5235/175799611798204879 · Cited by 11
Relationships, Socialization and Combat Veterans: The Impact of Receiving and Training a Service Dog
Scotland-Coogan, D. (2019) · The Qualitative Report · doi:10.46743/2160-3715/2019.3590 · Cited by 11
“…al., 2005; MacDonald, & MacDonald, 2010; Nave et al. 2015; Odendaal, & Meintjes, 2003; Van Ijzendorn & Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2012; Zak, Stanton, & Ahmadi, 2007), social memory (Guastella, Mitchell, & Mathews, 2008) and promoting positive communication during couples conflict (Ditzen et al., 2009).”
BackgroundGrigorenko, E. L. (2011) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781118092699.ch3 · Cited by 11
Intrahypothalamic effects of oxytocin on PVN CRH neurons in response to acute stress
Pati, D., Krause, E. G., & Frazier, C. J. (2022) · Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research · doi:10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100382 · Cited by 10
Social Feedback During Sensorimotor Synchronization Changes Salivary Oxytocin and Behavioral States
Papasteri, C., Sofonea, A., Boldasu, R., Poalelungi, C., Tomescu, M. I., Pistol, C., Vasilescu, R. I., Nedelcea, C., Podina, I. R., Berceanu, A. I., et al. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.531046 · Cited by 11
Azadbakht, A., Salehi, M., Maracy, M. R., & Banafshe, H. R. (2022) · European Addiction Research · doi:10.1159/000525443 · Cited by 10
Neural responses to instructed positive couple interaction: an fMRI study on compliment sharing
Eckstein, M., Stößel, G., Gerchen, M. F., Bilek, E., Kirsch, P., & Ditzen, B. (2023) · Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience · doi:10.1093/scan/nsad005 · Cited by 11
“Furthermore, oxytocin is known to promote health-beneficial effects such as regulation of the stress axes during couple interaction (Ditzen et al., 2009; Zietlow et al., 2018).”
BackgroundSelf-citationPain perception and physiological responses are modulated by active support from a romantic partner
Mazza, A., Ciorli, T., Mirlisenna, I., D'Onofrio, I., Mantellino, S., Zaccaria, M., Pia, L., & Monte, O. D. (2023) · Psychophysiology · doi:10.1111/psyp.14299 · Cited by 10
“Given the cardinal role of oxytocin in human romantic bonding (Ditzen et al., 2009; Scheele et al., 2012, 2013) and the contextual valence of social touch (Sailer & Leknes, 2022), it is plausible that the effects of haptic forms of support provided by a romantic partner (i.e., touch support and the…”
SocialStress and Social Approach
Heinrichs, M., Chen, F. S., Domes, G., & Kumsta, R. (2013) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511843716.028 · Cited by 10
Self-citationOxytocin Effect on Collective Decision Making: A Randomized Placebo Controlled Study
Hertz, U., Kelly, M. G., Rutledge, R. B., Winston, J. S., Wright, N. D., Dolan, R. J., & Bahrami, B. (2016) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0153352 · Cited by 10
“Participants self-administered either 40 IU of oxytocin (Syntocinon spray; Novartis) or placebo intranasally [27,28].”
MethodNakagawa, Y. (2017) · Journal of Drug and Alcohol Research · doi:10.4303/jdar/236017 · Cited by 10
“Furthermore, oxytocin decreases activity in the amygdala and HPA axis, whereas AVP increases activity in both brain areas [71,95,96,112].”
Background“Lie to me”—Oxytocin impairs lie detection between sexes
Pfundmair, M., Erk, W., & Reinelt, A. (2017) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.07.001 · Cited by 9
Wagner, B. K., Relling, A. E., Kieffer, J. D., & Parker, A. J. (2019) · Domestic Animal Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.domaniend.2019.07.007 · Cited by 9
Oxytocin and Psychological Factors Affecting Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Kontoangelos, K. A., Raptis, A. E., Papageorgiou, C., Tsiotra, P. C., Papadimitriou, G. N., Rabavilas, A. D., Dimitriadis, G., & Raptis, S. (2012) · Experimental Diabetes Research · doi:10.1155/2012/560864 · Cited by 11
“Intranasal OXT was found to suppress anxiety responses and to mediate the positive and buffering effects of social support [44].”
BackgroundDumais, K. M., & Veenema, A. H. (2015) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-802114-9.00011-1 · Cited by 11
Oxytocin plasma levels in psychiatric patients with and without recent suicide attempt
Deisenhammer, E., Hofer, S., Schwitzer, G. O., Defrancesco, M., Kemmler, G., Wildt, L., & Hinterhuber, H. (2012) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2012.05.003 · Cited by 10
“, 2008), communication skills during a couple conflict (Ditzen et al., 2009) and emotion recognition (Guastella et al.”
Opioids and the hormone oxytocin
Kovatsi, L., & Nikolaou, K. (2019) · Vitamins and hormones · doi:10.1016/bs.vh.2019.05.003 · Cited by 9
Psychoneuroendocrinology and Clinical Psychology
Fischer, S., & Ehlert, U. (2019) · Clinical Psychology in Europe · doi:10.32872/cpe.v1i2.33030 · Cited by 10
“…behaviour, such as enhanc‐ ing theory of mind, emotional recognition, empathy, social exploration, and attachment Clinical Psychology in Europe 2019, Vol.1(2), Article 33030 https://doi.org/10.32872/cpe.v1i2.33030 (see also Ditzen et al., 2009; Heinrichs, Baumgartner, Kirschbaum, & Ehlert, 2003).”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationThe Social Neuroscience of Autism Spectrum Disorder
McPartland, J. C., Tillman, R. M., Yang, D. Y. ‐., Bernier, R., & Pelphrey, K. A. (2014) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781118911389.hautc20 · Cited by 10
Gouin, J.-P., Pournajafi-Nazarloo, H., & Carter, C. S. (2015) · Physiology & Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.11.021 · Cited by 9
“: +1 514 848 and memory and influenced social behaviors such as trust, generosity, positive communication behavior, and desire for future interaction [1, 12,13,20,24,61].”
BackgroundResultA narrative review of mechanisms linking romantic relationship experiences to sleep quality
Xie, Y., & Feeney, B. C. (2024) · SLEEP Advances · doi:10.1093/sleepadvances/zpae049 · Cited by 12
“Moreover, researchers have found that oxytocin administration increased positive communication [124], reduced cortisol and autonomic arousal during couple conflict [127], and increased people’s appraisal of positive aspects of their relationships [128].”
BackgroundOxytocin administration leads to a preference for masculinized male faces
Theodoridou, A., Rowe, A. C., Rogers, P. J., & Penton‐Voak, I. S. (2011) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.02.004 · Cited by 9
Norwegian Developments and Perspectives on Violence Risk Assessment
Bjørkly, S. K., Hartvig, P., Roaldset, J. O., & Singh, J. P. (2014) · Criminal Justice and Behavior · doi:10.1177/0093854814547949 · Cited by 9
“Biological factors Previous research has identified an association between aggressive behavior and biological factors, such as oxytocin (Ditzen et al., 2009; Sala et al., 2011), serotonin (Siever, 2008), and cholesterol (golomb, 1998).”
BackgroundNeuroendocrinology and Behavior
Sumiyoshi, T. (2012) · InTech eBooks · doi:10.5772/1666 · Cited by 9
CortiLove: A pilot study on hair steroids in the context of being in love and separation
Renner, J., Stanulla, M., Walther, A., & Schindler‐Gmelch, L. (2021) · Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100061 · Cited by 6
Plett, O., Flasbeck, V., & Brüne, M. (2023) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.05.004 · Cited by 9
Human social behavior and oxytocin: Molecular and neuronal mechanisms
Matsushita, H., & Nishiki, T. (2025) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.02.026 · Cited by 11
Arginine Vasopressin Deficiency and Oxytocin Deficiency in the Endocrine Clinic
Atila, C., Refardt, J. C., & Christ‐Crain, M. (2025) · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · doi:10.1210/clinem/dgaf651 · Cited by 9
Doerr, J. M., Klaus, K., Troxel, W., Nater, U. M., Bodenmann, G., Heinrichs, M., Ehlert, U., & Ditzen, B. (2022) · Psychosomatic Medicine · doi:10.1097/psy.0000000000001091 · Cited by 9
“Furthermore, OT administration increased positive communication (22) and reduced cortisol and autonomic arousal (although the latter in women only) during couple conflict (23).”
BackgroundSelf-citationOxytocin Modulation in Mindfulness-Based Pain Management for Chronic Pain
Aygün, O., Mohr, E., Duff, C., Matthew, S., & Schoenberg, P. L. A. (2024) · Life · doi:10.3390/life14020253 · Cited by 11
“The reduction of stress markers observed in other meditation intervention studies [121–123] could potentially involve oxytocin, since oxytocin is also associated with lower stress levels measured using cortisol during exercise [57], conflict [58], and/or social stress [59].”
BackgroundOxytocin and social learning in socially anxious men and women
Flechsenhar, A., Levine, S. M., Müller, L. E., Herpertz, S. C., & Bertsch, K. (2024) · Neuropharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109930 · Cited by 8
A Decade of Research Exploring Biology and Communication
Boren, J. P., & Veksler, A. E. (2011) · Scholar Commons (Santa Clara University) · Cited by 8
The Use of Oxytocin in Personality Disorders: Rationale and Current Status
Pérez-Rodríguez, M. M., Derish, N. E., & New, A. S. (2014) · Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s40501-014-0026-1 · Cited by 8
Advancing Instructional Communication: Integrating a Biosocial Approach
Horan, S. M., & Afifi, T. D. (2014) · Communication Education · doi:10.1080/03634523.2014.934851 · Cited by 8
“In addition, research indicates that when people are given nasal injections of oxytocin, they experience less stress after a conflict-inducing task with others, and it makes them more immediate and social (e.g., Ditzen et al., 2009).”
BackgroundChronic Cocaine Exposure During Pregnancy Increases Postpartum Neuroendocrine Stress Responses
Williams, S. K., Barber, J. S., Jamieson‐Drake, A. W., Enns, J. A., Townsend, L. B., Walker, C. H., & Johns, J. M. (2012) · Journal of Neuroendocrinology · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2826.2012.02291.x · Cited by 8
Zhao, W., Ma, X., Le, J., Ling, A., Xin, F., Kou, J., Zhang, Y., Luo, R., Becker, B., & Kendrick, K. M. (2017) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.12.010 · Cited by 8
“Oxytocin also plays a role in repairing damaged ones between partners (Ditzen et al., 2009) and increases efforts to restore social connection with individuals who reject us in men, but not in women (Xu et al., 2017).”
BackgroundFlanagan, J. C., Joseph, J. E., Nietert, P. J., Back, S. E., & McCrady, B. S. (2019) · Contemporary Clinical Trials · doi:10.1016/j.cct.2019.05.002 · Cited by 8
Placebo Effects in the Neuroendocrine System: Conditioning of the Oxytocin Responses
Skvortsova, A., Veldhuijzen, D. S., Pacheco‐López, G., Bakermans‐Kranenburg, M. J., van IJzendoorn, M. H., Smeets, M. A. M., Wilderjans, T. F., Dahan, A., den Bergh, O. V., Chavannes, N. H., et al. (2019) · Psychosomatic Medicine · doi:10.1097/psy.0000000000000759 · Cited by 10
Attachment-based psychotherapy: helping patients develop adaptive capacities
Costello, P. C. (2013) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.51-2367 · Cited by 8
Sakai, M., Yu, Z., Picotin, R., Kasahara, T., Kikuchi, Y., Ono, C., Hino, M., Kunii, Y., Maejima, Y., Shimomura, K., et al. (2025) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115480 · Cited by 6
Scotland-Coogan, D. (2019) · The Qualitative Report · doi:10.46743/2160-3715/2019.3573 · Cited by 10
“…the hormone oxytocin to moderate stress reduction (Neumann & Landgraf, 2012; Uvnäs-Moberg, 1998a), enhance sleep (Lipschitz et al., 2015), attenuate cortisol in the stress response (Ditzen et al., 2009), and promote fear response and extinction (Eckstein et al., 2015; Labuschagne et al., 2010).”
BackgroundHorn, A. B., & Röcke, C. (2020) · GeroPsych · doi:10.1024/1662-9647/a000242 · Cited by 7
Metadata
- Authors
- Ditzen, B., Schaer, M., Gabriel, B., Bodenmann, G., Ehlert, U., & Heinrichs, M.
- Affiliations
- Emory University (US)
- University of Fribourg (CH)
- University of Zurich (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Ditzen, Beate
- Venue
- Biological Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2009-05
- Volume
- 65
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 728-731
- ISSN
- 0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1977529793
- Cited by
- 805
- References
- 53
- Citations by year
- 2026: 33 · 2025: 30 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 35 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 46 · 2019: 51 · 2018: 57 · 2017: 68 · 2016: 45 · 2015: 62 · 2014: 65 · 2013: 55 · 2012: 54
- FWCI
- 15.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
- Locations
- Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion)
- Research Bank (Australian Catholic University) (submittedVersion)
- Digital Access to Libraries (submittedVersion)
- Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften digital collection (Zurich University of Applied Sciences) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- FreiDok plus (Universitätsbibliothek Freiburg) (submittedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
- Keywords
- oxytocin, couple conflict, positive communication, salivary cortisol, intranasal administration, close relationships, pair bonding, social stress, self-disclosure, eye contact, nonverbal behavior, attachment
- MeSH terms
- Administration, Intranasal, Adult, Communication, Conflict, Psychological, Double-Blind Method, Family Characteristics, Female, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Middle Aged, Oxytocin, Placebos, Saliva
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