Oxytocin modulates the link between adult attachment and cooperation through reduced betrayal aversion
Open accessAbstract
An experiment examined whether and how the relationship between individual differences in social attachment and cooperation is modulated by brain oxytocin, a neuropeptide implicated both in parent-child bonding, and in social approach. Healthy males completed a validated attachment style measure, received intranasal oxytocin or placebo, and privately chose between cooperation and non-cooperation in an incentivized social dilemma with an anonymous stranger. Attachment anxiety--the tendency to fear rejection by others--had few effects and was not modulated by oxytocin. However, oxytocin interacted with attachment avoidance--the tendency to fear dependency and closeness in interpersonal relations. Especially among participants high rather than low in attachment avoidance, oxytocin reduced betrayal aversion, and increased trust and cooperation compared to placebo. Effects of attachment avoidance and oxytocin on cooperation were mediated by betrayal aversion, and not by affiliation tendencies.
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Regarding trust, oxytocin effects are moderated by characteristics of the subject (sex and attachment type) and by characteristics of the target (perceived level of reliability).
“Regarding trust, it has been shown that OT effects are moderated by the characteristics of the subject (i.e. sex [21] and attachment type [30]) and by those of the target (i.e. its perceived level of reliability [8]).”
From Failed Replication of Oxytocin Effects on Trust: The Envelope Task Case (2015) · cites this paper as [30]
Gottman has demonstrated that the ratio of positive to negative communication behaviors is strongly predictive of long-term relationship survival.
“and Gottman [72] has demonstrated that the ratio of positive to negative communication behaviors is strongly predictive of long-term relationship survival [73, 74].”
From Could intranasal oxytocin be used to enhance relationships? Research imperatives, clinical policy, and ethical considerations (2013) · cites this paper as [72]
The Conclusions and discussion section reports how oxytocin affected trust, betrayal aversion, and cooperation in an experiment; it does not address whether communication patterns predict relationship survival. Searches for Gottman, positive-to-negative communication ratios, and relationship survival found no supporting passage in our copy. Page numbers were not available. (LLM, conf=0.76)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredSharers may experience a mutual increase in positive attitude, resulting in the promotion of stronger social bonds and longer-term benefits of more frequent cooperation.
“Also, as oxytocin is thought to act on positive feedback circuits [16,17,21], sharers may experience a mutual increase in positive attitude [15,79,80], resulting in the promotion of stronger social bonds and longer-term benefits of more frequent cooperation [23,26,80].”
From Food sharing is linked to urinary oxytocin levels and bonding in related and unrelated wild chimpanzees (2014) · cites this paper as [26]
Previous studies showed beneficial effects of a single dose of OT on attachment security, development of trust and cooperation, and improved communal traits and altered agency.
“Our findings also extend previous studies showing beneficial effects of a single dose of OT on attachment security [20], development of trust and cooperation [18], and improved communal traits and altered agency [19].”
From Behavioral effects of multiple-dose oxytocin treatment in autism: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial with long-term follow-up (2020) · cites this paper as [18]
Factors such as gender, attachment style, and early parental experiences appear to moderate the effects of intranasal oxytocin on several outcome measures.
“Factors such as gender [48], attachment style [49], and early parental experiences [50] appear to moderate the effects of intranasal oxytocin on several outcome measures [51,52].”
From Efficacy of oxytocin administration early after psychotrauma in preventing the development of PTSD: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial (2014) · cites this paper as [49]
Intranasal oxytocin can facilitate the development of trust and cooperation, particularly in adults with high attachment avoidance, by reducing betrayal aversion.
“De Dreu (2012) proved that intranasal OT can facilitate the development of trust and cooperation in particular in adults with high attachment avoidance (by reducing betrayal aversion).”
From Long-term oxytocin administration enhances the experience of attachment (2017) · cites this paper as De Dreu (2012)
Pharmacological challenge studies in healthy humans demonstrated beneficial effects of intranasal single-dose (24-48 IU) OT on behavioral responses in various social-economic and social-cognitive tasks.
“pharmacological challenge studies in healthy humans, which demonstrated beneficial effects of intranasal single-dose (24 -48 IU) administration of OT on behavioral responses in various social-economic and social-cognitive tasks.”
From Integrative Approaches Utilizing Oxytocin to Enhance Prosocial Behavior: From Animal and Human Social Behavior to Autistic Social Dysfunction (2012) · cites this paper as De Dreu, 2011
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References 57 · Cited by 114
- Authors
- De Dreu, C. K. W.
- Venue
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2012-07
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 871-880
- ISSN
- 0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2127066651
- Cited by
- 114
- References
- 57
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 16.48
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (publishedVersion)
- UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies
- Keywords
- oxytocin, adult attachment, attachment avoidance, attachment anxiety, cooperation, betrayal aversion, trust, social dilemmas, intranasal oxytocin, individual differences
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Affect, Attitude, Cooperative Behavior, Double-Blind Method, Hostility, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Object Attachment, Oxytocin, Placebos, Psychological Tests, Social Behavior, Down-Regulation, Trust, Validation Studies as Topic, Young Adult
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