Oxytocin and cortisol in romantically unattached young adults: associations with bonding and psychological distress
Abstract
Despite extensive research on the involvement of oxytocin (OT) in mammalian bonding, less is known about its role in human social affiliation across the life cycle. Forty-five romantically unattached young adults participated. Plasma oxytocin and salivary cortisol were assessed using enzyme immuno-assay, and self-report measures of bonding, attachment, anxiety, and depression were collected. Oxytocin was associated with bonding to own parents and inversely related to psychological distress, particularly depressive symptoms. Cortisol was related to attachment anxiety. Regression analysis indicated that the adult's representations of bonding to parents predicted OT levels above and beyond cortisol, psychological distress, and attachment. Findings are consistent with antistress models of oxytocin and suggest that oxytocin may play a role in bonding-related cognitions across the life span.
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The oxytocin assay used a commercial ELISA kit consistent with previous research.
“Determination of OT concentrations in plasma was performed using a commercial OT enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit (Assay Design, Ann Arbor, MI) consistent with previous research (Carter et al., 2007; Feldman et al., 2007; Gordon et al., 2008).”
From Oxytocin during the initial stages of romantic attachment: Relations to couples’ interactive reciprocity (2012) · cites this paper as Gordon et al., 2008
The present findings are consistent with recent research assessing plasma and cerebrospinal fluid OT, which showed similar concentrations of OT in men and women.
“The present findings are consistent with recent research assessing plasma (30) and cerebrospinal fluid OT (37), which showed similar concentrations of OT in men and women.”
From Oxytocin and the development of parenting in humans (2010) · cites this paper as [30]
The high stability in OT levels across a period of several months and the links reported between plasma OT with socioemotional and behavioral indicators of affiliation support the validity of peripheral OT as a biomarker of affiliation processes.
“The high stability in OT levels across a period of several months and the links reported between plasma OT with socioemotional and behavioral indicators of affiliation (27,28,30,39,67–69) support the validity of peripheral OT as a biomarker of affiliation processes.”
From Oxytocin and the development of parenting in humans (2010) · cites this paper as [30]
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References 27 · Cited by 232
- Authors
- Gordon, I., Zagoory‐Sharon, O., Schneiderman, I., Leckman, J. F., Weller, A., & Feldman, R.
- Affiliations
- Bar-Ilan University (IL)
- Yale University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Feldman, Ruth
- Venue
- Psychophysiology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2008-02-04
- Volume
- 45
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 349-352
- ISSN
- 0048-5772 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-8986
- OpenAlex
- W2120013686
- Cited by
- 232
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 23
- FWCI
- 23.62
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychophysiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Keywords
- oxytocin, cortisol, young adults, attachment anxiety, depressive symptoms, psychological distress, attachment representations, social affiliation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Family, Female, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Object Attachment, Oxytocin, Regression Analysis, Stress, Psychological
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