Cited by 30Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorExperimental Behavioral Economics StudiesNeural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

A functional MRI study on how oxytocin affects decision making in social dilemmas: Cooperate as long as it pays off, aggress only when you think you can win

Lambert, Bruno, Declerck, Carolyn H., Boone, Christophe, Parizel, Paul M.·2017·Hormones and Behavior

Abstract

We investigate if the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT), known to moderate social behaviour, influences strategic decision making in social dilemmas by facilitating the integration of incentives and social cues. Participants (N=29) played two economic games with different incentive structures in the fMRI scanner after receiving OT or placebo (following a double blind, within-subject design). Pictures of angry or neutral faces (the social cues) were displayed alongside the game matrices. Consistent with a priori hypotheses based on the modulatory role of OT in mesolimbic dopaminergic brain regions, the results indicate that, compared to placebo, OT significantly increases the activation of the nucleus accumbens during an assurance (coordination) game that rewards mutual cooperation. This increases appetitive motivation so that cooperative behaviour is facilitated for risk averse individuals. OT also significantly attenuates the amygdala, thereby reducing the orienting response to social cues. The corresponding change in behaviour is only apparent in the chicken (or anti-coordination) game, where aggression is incentivized but fatal if the partner also aggresses. Because of this ambiguity, decision making can be improved by additional information, and OT steers decisions in the chicken game in accordance with the valence of the facial cue: aggress when face is neutral; retreat when it is angry. Through its combined influence on amygdala and nucleus accumbens, OT improves the selection of a cooperative or aggressive strategy in function of the best match between the incentives of the game and the social cues present in the decision environment.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.06.011

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  • Oxytocin differentially impacts cooperative and aggressive choices in individuals with different pre-existing beliefs in prosociality.

    “Oxytocin differentially impacts cooperative and aggressive choices in individuals with different pre-existing beliefs in prosociality 27 .”
  • In humans, oxytocin can alleviate social stress by lowering salivary cortisol levels, increasing parasympathetic control of the heart, and attenuating amygdala activation in response to seeing faces.

    “In humans, OT is mostly known for its functions in childbirth and breastfeeding, but it can also alleviate social stress, for example, by lowering salivary cortisol levels 4 , increasing parasympathetic control of the heart 5 , and attenuating amygdala activation in response to seeing faces 6,7 .”

    From A registered replication study on oxytocin and trust (2020) · cites this paper as [7]

  • By boosting the dopaminergic signal in the mesolimbic network, oxytocin is thought to enhance the salience of social cues that emphasize the value of approach behavior.

    “By boosting the dopaminergic signal in the mesolimbic network, OT is thought to enhance the salience of social cues that emphasize the value of approach behavior 7,35,36 .”

    From A registered replication study on oxytocin and trust (2020) · cites this paper as [7]

  • A current leading theory rests on neurological evidence that oxytocin modulates mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons, thereby affecting both incentive motivation and attention re-orienting.

    “A current leading theory to account for why OT can stimulate both prosocial and anti-social behaviors rests on neurological evidence that OT modulates mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons, thereby affecting both incentive motivation as well as attention re-orienting.”

    From A registered replication study on oxytocin and trust (2020) · cites this paper as [7]

  • Measuring trust with a single decision rather than averaging several consecutive decisions prevents hedge betting and may encourage intuitive thinking, which is the decision-making type oxytocin is most likely to influence.

    “Measuring trust with a single decision (rather than averaging several consecutive decisions) has the advantage that it prevents hedge betting and may thus encourage intuitive thinking, which is the decision making type OT is most likely to influence, 7,47 rather than complicated deliberation.”

    From A registered replication study on oxytocin and trust (2020) · cites this paper as [7]

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Authors
Lambert, B., Declerck, C. H., Boone, C., & Parizel, P. M.
Affiliations
University of Antwerp (BE)
Corresponding author
Lambert, Bruno
Venue
Hormones and Behavior
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2017-08
Volume
94
Pages
145-152
ISSN
0018-506X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2741228995
Cited by
30
References
60
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 5
FWCI
6.26
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Hormones and Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
University of Antwerp (5340)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Keywords
oxytocin, social dilemmas, strategic decision-making, cooperation, aggression, chicken game, coordination games, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, social cues, facial expressions, incentive compatibility, risk aversion, mesolimbic dopamine system, appetitive motivation
MeSH terms
Administration, Intranasal, Adult, Aggression, Cooperative Behavior, Decision Making, Double-Blind Method, Female, Games, Experimental, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Motivation, Oxytocin, Reward, Social Behavior, Young Adult

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