Cited by 66Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorExperimental Behavioral Economics StudiesEvolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation

Oxytocin promotes intuitive rather than deliberated cooperation with the in-group

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Ten Velden, Femke S., Daughters, Katie, De Dreu, Carsten K.W.·2017·Hormones and Behavior

Abstract

A contribution to a special issue on Hormones and Human Competition. In intergroup settings, individuals prefer cooperating with their in-group, and sometimes derogate and punish out-groups. Here we replicate earlier work showing that such in-group bounded cooperation is conditioned by oxytocin and extend it by showing that oxytocin-motivated in-group cooperation is intuitive rather than deliberated. Healthy males (N=65) and females (N=129) self-administered intranasal placebo or 24IU oxytocin in a double-blind placebo-controlled between-subjects design, were assigned to a three-person in-group (that faced a 3-person out-group), and given an endowment from which they could contribute to a within-group pool (benefitting the in-group), and/or to a between-group pool (benefitting the in-group and punishing the out-group). Prior to decision-making, participants performed a Stroop Interference task that was either cognitively taxing, or not. Cognitively taxed individuals kept less to themselves and contributed more to the within-group pool. Furthermore, participants receiving placebo contributed more to the within-group pool when they were cognitively taxed rather than not; those receiving oxytocin contributed to the within-group pool regardless of cognitive taxation. Neither taxation nor treatment influenced contributions to the between-group pool, and no significant sex differences were observed. It follows that in intergroup settings (i) oxytocin increases in-group bounded cooperation, (ii) oxytocin neither reduces nor increases out-group directed spite, and (iii) oxytocin-induced in-group cooperation is independent of cognitive taxation and, therefore, likely to be intuitive rather than consciously deliberated.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.06.005

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  • The social boundaries hypothesis is consistent with the present findings and is supported by several behavioural studies using investment and trust games.

    “Although this hypothesis has not been previously linked to the effects of oxytocin on social-emotional processing, it is consistent with the present findings and is supported by several behavioural studies using investment and trust games.”
  • Recent work on the role of oxytocin in in-group cooperation suggests similar effects for both male and female participants.

    “recent work on the role of oxytocin in in-group cooperation suggests similar effects for both male and female participants (Ten Velden et al., 2017).”

    From Oxytocin promotes coordinated out-group attack during intergroup conflict in humans (2019) · cites this paper as Ten Velden et al., 2017

  • An earlier study found 8 IU to be the most effective, but that study used a Breath Powered device for oxytocin administration which is likely to have increased absorption significantly.

    “The latter study, however, made use of a Breath Powered device for OT administration which is likely to have increased absorption significantly.”

    From A registered replication study on oxytocin and trust (2020) · cites this paper as [52]

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Authors
Ten Velden, F. S., Daughters, K., & De Dreu, C. K. W.
Affiliations
Cardiff University (GB)
Venue
Hormones and Behavior
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2017-06
Volume
92
Pages
164-171
ISSN
0018-506X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2415392279
Cited by
66
References
84
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 2
FWCI
8.37
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Hormones and Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Leiden Repository (Leiden University) (submittedVersion)
  • UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
  • ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (submittedVersion)
  • University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion)
  • Open Access at Essex (University of Essex) (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
Funders
FMG-Research Priority Grant of the University of Amsterdam
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, in-group cooperation, intuitive decision making, deliberative decision-making, intergroup cooperation, spite, cognitive load, Stroop interference, intranasal oxytocin, sex differences
MeSH terms
Administration, Intranasal, Adolescent, Adult, Cooperative Behavior, Decision Making, Double-Blind Method, Female, Group Processes, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Motivation, Oxytocin, Sex Factors, Young Adult

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