Oxytocin infusion increases charitable donations regardless of monetary resources
Abstract
This study examined if the prosocial effects of oxytocin (OT) extend from individuals to a generalized other who is in need. Participants played a series of economic games to earn money and were presented with an opportunity to donate a portion of their earnings to charity. OT did not significantly increase the decision to donate, but among the 36% of participants who did donate, people infused with OT were found to donate 48% more to charity than those given a placebo. The amount of money earned in the experiment had no effect on whether or not a donation was made or the size of a donation. This is the first study showing that OT increases generosity in unilateral exchanges directed toward philanthropic social institutions, as opposed to immediate benefits directed at individuals or groups.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The positive effects of OT on social cognition may only be observed when the tasks demand a binding relationship in which reward contingencies are congruent between two players, where they form a partnership by becoming stake holders of common interest.
“The positive effects of OT on social cognition may only be observed when the tasks demand a binding relationship in which reward contingencies are congruent between two players, where they form a partnership by becoming stake holders of common interest (Barraza et al., 2011; Kosfeld et al., 2005; Zak et al., 2007).”
From Approaching the biology of human parental attachment: Brain imaging, oxytocin and coordinated assessments of mothers and fathers (2014) · cites this paper as Barraza et al., 2011
Oxytocin administration exerts no significant behavioral change in strangers who share no pre-existing bonding relationship.
“oxytocin administration exerts no significant behavioral change in strangers who share no pre-existing bonding relationship (Barraza et al., 2011; De Dreu, 2012b; Kosfeld et al., 2005; Zak et al., 2007)”
From Approaching the biology of human parental attachment: Brain imaging, oxytocin and coordinated assessments of mothers and fathers (2014) · cites this paper as Barraza et al., 2011
Cites
Impure Altruism and Donations to Public Goods: A Theory of Warm-Glow Giving
Andreoni, J. (1990) · The Economic Journal · doi:10.2307/2234133 · Cited by 5,825 · see citing works
Behavioral Game Theory: Experiments in Strategic Interaction
Camerer, C. F. (2003) · Cited by 3,801 · see citing works
Oxytocin increases trust in humans
Kosfeld, M., Heinrichs, M., Zak, P. J., Fischbacher, U., & Fehr, E. (2005) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature03701 · Cited by 3,690 · see citing works
Evolution of indirect reciprocity
Nowak, M. A., & Sigmund, K. (2005) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature04131 · Cited by 2,762 · see citing works
Behavioral Game Theory. Experiments in Strategic Interaction
Tyran, J. (2003) · The Journal of Socio-Economics · doi:10.1016/j.socec.2003.10.009 · Cited by 2,314 · see citing works
The New Palgrave dictionary of economics
(2008) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.46-0666 · Cited by 1,677 · see citing works
Neuroendocrine perspectives on social attachment and love
Sue Carter, C. (1998) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/s0306-4530(98)00055-9 · Cited by 1,425 · see citing works
Sniffing neuropeptides: A transnasal approach to the human brain
Born, J., Lange, T., Kern, W., McGregor, G. P., Bickel, U., & Fehm, H. L. (2002) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nn0602-849 · Cited by 1,356 · see citing works
The psychological consequences of money
Vohs, K. D., Mead, N. L., & Goode, M. R. (2006) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1132491 · Cited by 1,337 · see citing works
The neurobiology of attachment
Insel, T. R., & Young, L. J. (2001) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/35053579 · Cited by 1,173 · see citing works
The Neuropeptide Oxytocin Regulates Parochial Altruism in Intergroup Conflict Among Humans
De Dreu, C. K. W., Greer, L. L., Handgraaf, M. J. J., Shalvi, S., Van Kleef, G. A., Baas, M., Ten Velden, F. S., Van Dijk, E., & Feith, S. W. W. (2010) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1189047 · Cited by 1,148 · see citing works
Neural Responses to Taxation and Voluntary Giving Reveal Motives for Charitable Donations
Harbaugh, W. T., Mayr, U., & Burghart, D. R. (2007) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1140738 · Cited by 1,046 · see citing works
Human fronto–mesolimbic networks guide decisions about charitable donation
Moll, J., Krueger, F., Zahn, R., Pardini, M., de Oliveira-Souza, R., & Grafman, J. (2006) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0604475103 · Cited by 900 · see citing works
Oxytocin increases generosity in humans
Zak, P. J., Stanton, A. A., & Ahmadi, S. (2007) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0001128 · Cited by 831 · see citing works
Self-citationA Signaling Explanation for Charity
Glazer, A., & Konrad, K. A. (2008) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-540-79247-5_43 · Cited by 703 · see citing works
(1993) · PsycEXTRA Dataset · doi:10.1037/e540002004-001 · Cited by 624 · see citing works
Oxytocin is associated with human trustworthiness
ZAK, P., KURZBAN, R., & MATZNER, W. (2005) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2005.07.009 · Cited by 595 · see citing works
Self-citationA neurobiological basis of social attachment.
(1997) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/ajp.154.6.726 · Cited by 553 · see citing works
Empathy toward strangers triggers oxytocin release and subsequent generosity
Barraza, J. A., & Zak, P. J. (2009) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04504.x · Cited by 489 · see citing works
Self-citationProsocial Emotions and Helping: The Moderating Role of Group Membership.
Stürmer, S., Snyder, M., & Omoto, A. M. (2005) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.88.3.532 · Cited by 458 · see citing works
Vasopressin and oxytocin receptors in the central nervous system
Tribollet, E., & Barberis, C. (1996) · Critical Reviews™ in Neurobiology · doi:10.1615/critrevneurobiol.v10.i1.60 · Cited by 399 · see citing works
ZAK, P. J., KURZBAN, R., & MATZNER, W. T. (2004) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1196/annals.1314.025 · Cited by 282 · see citing works
Self-citationIsrael, S., Lerer, E., Shalev, I., Uzefovsky, F., Riebold, M., Laiba, E., Bachner-Melman, R., Maril, A., Bornstein, G., Knafo, A., et al. (2009) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0005535 · Cited by 278 · see citing works
Oxytocin makes people trusting, not gullible
Mikolajczak, M., Gross, J. J., Lane, A., Corneille, O., de Timary, P., & Luminet, O. (2010) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0956797610377343 · Cited by 216 · see citing works
Monetary sacrifice among strangers is mediated by endogenous oxytocin release after physical contact
MORHENN, V, PARK, J., PIPER, E., & ZAK, P. (2008) · Evolution and Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2008.04.004 · Cited by 158 · see citing works
Self-citationTRIBOLLET, E., DUBOIS‐DAUPHIN, M., DREIFUSS, J. J., BARBERIS, C., & JARD, S. (1992) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1992.tb34343.x · Cited by 156 · see citing works
Oxytocin in Maternal, Sexual, and Social Behaviors
Pedersen, C. A., Caldwell, J. D., Jirikowski, G. F., & Insel, T. R. (1992) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Zak, P. J. (2008) · Scientific American · doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0608-88 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Self-citationThe physiology of moral sentiments
Zak, P. J. (2010) · Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization · doi:10.1016/j.jebo.2009.11.009 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
Self-citation506-01 Advanced Social Psychology
End, C. M. (2010) · Exhibit - A Showcase of Scholarship, Creativity and Preservation Provided by Xavier University Library (Xavier University) · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Oxytocin in the human--regulation of derivations and destinations
Evans, J. J. (1997) · European Journal of Endocrinology · doi:10.1530/eje.0.1370559 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Swain, J. E., Kim, P., Spicer, J., Ho, S. S., Dayton, C. J., Elmadih, A., & Abel, K. M. (2014) · Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2014.03.007 · Cited by 290 · see citing works
Acute intranasal oxytocin improves positive self-perceptions of personality
Cardoso, C., Ellenbogen, M. A., & Linnen, A.-M. (2012) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-011-2527-6 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Antiaggressive activity of central oxytocin in male rats
Calcagnoli, F., de Boer, S. F., Althaus, M., den Boer, J. A., & Koolhaas, J. M. (2013) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-013-3124-7 · Cited by 90 · see citing works
Oxytocin, but not vasopressin, increases both parochial and universal altruism
Israel, S., Weisel, O., Ebstein, R. P., & Bornstein, G. (2012) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.02.001 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
van IJzendoorn, M. H., Huffmeijer, R., Alink, L. R. A., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., & Tops, M. (2011) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00258 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
“The donating task used in the Barraza et al. (2011) study was similar in terms of participants donating their own money to a real charity but it differed in terms of the standard amount of money available, and in the choice between two different charities (Red Cross, and Red Crescent).”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialThe other side of the coin: oxytocin decreases the adherence to fairness norms
Radke, S., & de Bruijn, E. R. A. (2012) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2012.00193 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Chang, S. W. C., & Platt, M. L. (2014) · Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2013.11.006 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
The neuropeptide oxytocin induces a social altruism bias
Marsh, N., Scheele, D., Gerhardt, H., Strang, S., Enax, L., Weber, B., Maier, W., & Hurlemann, R. (2015) · The Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.3199-15.2015 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Theodoridou, A., Rowe, A. C., & Mohr, C. (2013) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2013.00197 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
“, 2009), (3) increased charitable donations (Barraza et al., 2011), (4) promoted positive inferences about others’ mental states (Domes et al.”
BackgroundResultMustoe, A. C., Harnisch, A. M., Hochfelder, B., Cavanaugh, J., & French, J. A. (2016) · Animal Behaviour · doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.01.025 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Oxytocin reduces food sharing in capuchin monkeys by modulating social distance
Brosnan, S. F., Talbot, C. F., Essler, J. L., Leverett, K., Flemming, T., Dougall, P., Heyler, C., & Zak, P. J. (2015) · Behaviour · doi:10.1163/1568539x-00003268 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Barraza, J. A., McCullough, M. E., Ahmadi, S., & Zak, P. J.
- Affiliations
- Claremont Graduate University (US)
- University of Miami (US)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Corresponding author
- Zak, Paul J.
- Venue
- Hormones and Behavior
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-07
- Volume
- 60
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 148-151
- ISSN
- 0018-506X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1991219686
- Cited by
- 106
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 13.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Hormones and Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- John Templeton Foundation
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
- Keywords
- oxytocin, charitable giving, prosocial behavior, generosity, philanthropy, economic games, financial resources, placebo, social institutions
- MeSH terms
- Administration, Intranasal, Adolescent, Altruism, Charities, Double-Blind Method, Humans, Male, Oxytocin, Resource Allocation, Young Adult
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
