Oxytocin indexes relational distress following interpersonal harms in women
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The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin, known for its involvement in social affiliation and bonding in animals, has recently been associated with a host of prosocial behaviors that are beneficial for maintaining positive social relationships in humans. Paradoxically, however, people with high endogenous levels of oxytocin also tend to report relational distress and interpersonal difficulties in their everyday lives. To address these contradictory findings, oxytocin reactivity was measured in response to a well-defined laboratory task in young adult women following recent interpersonal harms. Elevated mean peripheral oxytocin reactivity (but not baseline levels of oxytocin or cortisol reactivity) was associated with increased post-conflict anxiety and decreased levels of forgiveness. These results corroborate previous research implicating oxytocin as a neuroendocrine marker of relational distress, but not general stress, and demonstrate the utility of studying oxytocin in response to naturally occurring relational events.
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Findings on peripheral oxytocin are mixed: some studies link plasma oxytocin with positive communication, affiliation, and emotional support, while others link it with negative emotions, anxiety, and distress in romantic couples.
“However, findings regarding peripheral OT are mixed. Whereas some found links between plasma OT and positive communication, affiliation, and emotional support (Gonzaga et al., 2006; Grewen et al., 2005; Holt-Lunstad et al., 2008), others showed associations with negative emotions, anxiety, and distress in romantic couples (Marazziti et al., 2006; Tabak et al., 2010; Taylor et al., 2010).”
From Oxytocin during the initial stages of romantic attachment: Relations to couples’ interactive reciprocity (2012) · cites this paper as Tabak et al., 2010
The Results report that peripheral oxytocin reactivity was associated with post-conflict anxiety and lack of forgiveness in women following interpersonal harms. But the Methods include harms involving friends and relatives as well as romantic partners, and the Results found no significant association between baseline oxytocin and post-conflict anxiety. This source therefore supports the distress association, but not a finding specifically about romantic couples or baseline plasma oxytocin. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredWomen whose oxytocin levels spiked after a hurtful relationship experience had greater anxiety and were less forgiving of the slight compared to women who had lower levels of the hormone.
“One recent study found that women whose oxytocin levels spiked after a hurtful relationship experience had greater anxiety and were less forgiving of the slight compared to women who had lower levels of the hormone (Tabak et al. 2011).”
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 Tabak et al. 2011
In women, peripheral oxytocin reactivity serves as a marker of relational distress.
“For example, there are some reports that in women, peripheral OT reactivity serves as a marker of relational distress (Tabak et al., 2011), and it has been suggested that these high OT levels in conjunction with positive affiliative contact may serve to motivate approach behavior to seek new friendships and reinstate normal social functioning after conflicts (Bartz and Hollander, 2006;Taylor, 2006”
From The effect of oxytocin on cooperation in a prisoner's dilemma depends on the social context and a person's social value orientation (2014) · cites this paper as Tabak et al., 2011
The tend and befriend model states that gaps in positive social relationships are accompanied by elevations in oxytocin and that these increased oxytocin levels prompt affiliative efforts aimed at restoring positive social contact.
“As such, the tend and befriend model has been proposed (74,75), which states that gaps in positive social relationships are accompanied by elevations in OXT and that these increased OXT levels prompt affiliative efforts aimed at restoring positive social contact.”
From Dissecting the Role of Oxytocin in the Formation and Loss of Social Relationships (2016) · cites this paper as [75]
This role of OT is influenced by an individual's previous experiences and difficulties in interpersonal relationships (Tabak et al., 2011), including difficulties with primary partner (Taylor et al., 2006), own infant (Feldman et al., 2011), or romantic partner (Marazziti et al., 2006).
“Studies imply this role is influenced by an individual’s previous experiences and difficulties in interpersonal relationships (Tabak et al., 2011): difficulties in relationships with primary partner (Taylor et al., 2006), or own infant (i.e. interactive stress) (Feldman et al., 2011), or romantic partner (Marazziti et al., 2006).”
From Approaching the biology of human parental attachment: Brain imaging, oxytocin and coordinated assessments of mothers and fathers (2014) · cites this paper as Tabak et al., 2011
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- Authors
- Tabak, B. A., McCullough, M. E., Szeto, A., Mendez, A. J., & McCabe, P. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Miami (US)
- Corresponding author
- McCullough, Michael E.
- Venue
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-01
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 115-122
- ISSN
- 0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2997882
- OpenAlex
- W2048786916
- Cited by
- 116
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 9.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH071258)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Forgiveness and Related Behaviors
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Keywords
- oxytocin, relational distress, interpersonal harm, forgiveness, cortisol response, women, social bonding, neuroendocrine markers, interpersonal conflict
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Affect, Anxiety, Conflict, Psychological, Diagnostic Techniques, Endocrine, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Object Attachment, Oxytocin, Research Design, Stress, Psychological, Young Adult
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