A critical review of the influence of oxytocin nasal spray on social cognition in humans: Evidence and future directions
Abstract
The past eight years of research has demonstrated that oxytocin nasal spray has a significant impact on human social cognition. The aim of this review is to provide critical comment on the literature using an information-processing framework. We provide a summary of fundamental assumptions of information-processing models and highlight an impressive range of consistent findings that demonstrate the impact of oxytocin nasal spray on social information processing. These findings include that oxytocin nasal spray improves the early conceptual detection of affect from social cues and improves the accurate appraisal of affect from social cues at elaborate and strategic levels of processing. There is some evidence that these effects may be particularly powerful for positive social cues. This review comments on inconsistent results that have been reported. We argue that such inconsistencies can, in part, be explained by variability across experiments in the degree to which potential extraneous confounds have been controlled, the different methods upon which studies assessed cognition, and the extent to which the focus of investigation has been on group-based outcomes. Finally, we argue that sound cognitive experimental methods can provide powerful tools to identify markers of response to oxytocin nasal spray that can be integrated into more complex circuitry models. The identification of robust markers has particular value in predicting behavioral and therapeutic response to intervention. This should now be a major focus for future research. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Social Behavior.
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Oxytocin has been shown to exert prosocial properties such as trust, empathy, social memory, affect recognition, and generosity in some studies.
“oxytocin has been shown to exert prosocial properties such as trust, empathy, social memory, affect recognition, and generosity in some studies1,2.”
From Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial Examining the Efficacy of Intranasal Oxytocin to Enhance Alcohol Behavioral Couple Therapy (2025) · cites this paper as [2]
At the dosage used, no side effects or contraindications of oxytocin have been described.
“At this dosage, no side effects or contraindications of OT have been described [29].”
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 [29]
Intranasal administration of OT improves the accuracy of social information appraisal, the encoding of social memories, and the retrieval of social cues.
“For example, intranasal administration of OT improves the accuracy of social information appraisal, the encoding of social memories, and the retrieval of social cues (Guastella and MacLeod, 2012).”
From Low dose intranasal oxytocin delivered with Breath Powered device dampens amygdala response to emotional stimuli: A peripheral effect-controlled within-subjects randomized dose-response fMRI trial (2016) · cites this paper as Guastella and MacLeod, 2012
Oxytocin plays a pivotal role in a variety of complex social behaviors by promoting a prosocial attitude and interpersonal bonding.
“The neuropeptide 'oxytocin' (OT) is known to play a pivotal role in a variety of complex social behaviors by promoting a prosocial attitude and interpersonal bonding.”
From Long-term oxytocin administration enhances the experience of attachment (2017) · cites this paper as Guastella and MacLeod (2012)
OXT's established role in promoting affiliative behavior and social bonds is more consistent with it acting to decrease self-interest and to increase interest in others.
“Indeed, OXT's established role in promoting affiliative behavior and social bonds [Bartz et al., 2011;Bethlehem et al., 2013;Guastella and MacLeod, 2012;Striepens et al., 2011] would seem more consistent with it acting to decrease self-interest and to increase interest in others.”
From Oxytocin blurs the self-other distinction during trait judgments and reduces medial prefrontal cortex responses: Oxytocin Blurs Self-Other Distinction (2016) · cites this paper as Guastella and MacLeod, 2012
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- Authors
- Graustella, A. J., & MacLeod, C.
- Affiliations
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- The University of Western Australia (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Graustella, Adam J.
- ORCID
- MacLeod, Colin
- Venue
- Hormones and Behavior
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2012-03
- Volume
- 61
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 410-418
- ISSN
- 0018-506X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2060947458
- Semantic Scholar
- 612cddf805b86370d291107c871a586bf6118565
- Cited by
- 379
- References
- 72
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 41 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 38 · 2015: 39 · 2014: 54 · 2013: 43 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 6.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Hormones and Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
- Keywords
- oxytocin, social cognition, information processing model, social information processing, vasopressin, social behavior
- MeSH terms
- Administration, Intranasal, Animals, Attention, Cognition, Communication, Emotions, Facial Expression, Humans, Individuality, Mental Processes, Neural Pathways, Object Attachment, Oxytocin, Psychotherapy, Social Behavior
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