Empathy toward strangers triggers oxytocin release and subsequent generosity
Abstract
Empathy is related to a variety of prosocial behaviors, but the brain mechanisms producing the experience of empathy have not been fully characterized. This study investigated whether the experience of empathy raises oxytocin levels and affects subsequent generosity toward strangers. Short video clips of an emotional scene and an unemotional scene were used as stimuli. Participants rated the emotions they experienced and then played a $40 ultimatum game to gauge their generosity. We found that empathy was associated with a 47% increase in oxytocin from baseline. We also found the empathy–oxytocin response was stronger in women than in men. Higher levels of empathy were also associated with more generous monetary offers toward strangers in the ultimatum game. Our findings provide the first evidence that oxytocin is a physiologic signature for empathy and that empathy mediates generosity.
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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 [67]
In healthy subjects, intranasal oxytocin alters pro-social feelings, social communication, emotional recognition, self-perception, and social interactions with offspring.
“Generally, in healthy subjects pro-social feelings, including generosity and trust (6–8), social communication and emotional recognition (9,10), self-perception (11), and social interactions with offspring are altered by OT(12).”
From Chronic intranasal oxytocin causes long-term impairments in partner preference formation in male prairie voles (2013) · cites this paper as [8]
Empathic interactions can increase plasma OT levels and subsequent generosity in humans.
“empathic interactions can similarly increase plasma OT levels and subsequent generosity in humans (Barraza and Zak, 2009)”
From Approaching the biology of human parental attachment: Brain imaging, oxytocin and coordinated assessments of mothers and fathers (2014) · cites this paper as Barraza and Zak, 2009
Performance on tasks highlighting empathy, such as trust games, can be enhanced by acute OT administration.
“although performance on tasks highlighting empathy (such as trust games) can be enhanced by acute OT administration”
From Approaching the biology of human parental attachment: Brain imaging, oxytocin and coordinated assessments of mothers and fathers (2014) · cites this paper as Barraza and Zak, 2009
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- Authors
- Barraza, J. A., & Zak, P. J.
- Affiliations
- Claremont Graduate University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Zak, Paul J.
- Venue
- Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2009-06
- Volume
- 1167
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 182-189
- ISSN
- 0077-8923 (ISSN-L)
- 1749-6632
- OpenAlex
- W2057080053
- Semantic Scholar
- 4989384c526d72d95c29348ccf47a406bd71aa53
- Cited by
- 489
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 21 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 49 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 43 · 2019: 45 · 2018: 33 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 34 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 20
- FWCI
- 27.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies
- Keywords
- empathy, oxytocin, generosity, prosocial behavior, ultimatum game, strangers, sex differences, emotional experience
- MeSH terms
- Emotions, Empathy, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Oxytocin, Stress, Psychological
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