The Neuropeptide Oxytocin Regulates Parochial Altruism in Intergroup Conflict Among Humans
Abstract
Oxytocin and Intergroup Conflict: Human society is organized into groups, such as those based on nationality or religion, which can lead to intergroup conflicts, with sometimes devastating consequences. Intergroup conflict engages a human behavior termed parochial altruism: For example, a soldier who fights against the enemy at risk to themselves to protect their country is a parochial altruist. De Dreu et al. (p. 1408 ; see the cover; see the News story by Miller ) have discovered a role for oxytocin, a neuropeptide produced in the hypothalamus, in regulating parochial altruism during human intergroup competition and conflict. Oxytocin is already known to play a role in trusting behavior, and naturally occurring genetic variants of the oxytocin receptor exist within the human population. Administration of oxytocin modulated defense-related aggression toward competing groups, but did not affect unprovoked, hateful behavior. Thus, there may be a neurobiological basis for intergroup conflict in humans.
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In persons without known developmental or psychiatric disorders, intranasal oxytocin increases social affiliation, social memory, and empathy.
“In persons without known developmental or psychiatric disorders, the use of intranasal oxytocin increases social affiliation, social memory, and empathy.2–5”
From Intranasal Oxytocin in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (2021) · cites this paper as [4]
Oxytocin appears to have differential effects in different contexts.
“Given that OXT appears to have differential effects in different contexts (e.g., De Dreu et al., 2010)”
From Oxytocin increases attention to the eyes and selectively enhances self-reported affective empathy for fear (2017) · cites this paper as De Dreu et al., 2010
Oxytocin may enhance the salience of negative social cues in males to help reduce antisocial influences by facilitating aggression toward or avoidance of individuals with negative social attributes.
“For males, on the other hand, OXT may enhance the salience of negative social cues to help reduce antisocial influences by facilitating aggression toward or avoidance of (i.e., ' fight or flight ' ) individuals in their environment with negative social attributes (3, 4, 34), and perhaps also by reducing partner conflict (6).”
From Oxytocin, the peptide that bonds the sexes also divides them (2016) · cites this paper as [34]
Anxiety caused by oxytocin could account for the different ways oxytocin influences reactions to familiar in-group versus unfamiliar out-group members.
“Although the finding of increased anxiety following OT administration does not directly inform on OT’s pro-social effects, it may explain why OT affects responses to in-group (familiar) and out-group (unfamiliar) members differently.2,3”
From Oxytocin increases anxiety to unpredictable threat (2013) · cites this paper as [2]
Oxytocin is better characterized as an 'us and them' molecule than as a 'love' or 'moral' molecule.
“implying that it is less of a ‘love’ or ‘moral’ molecule than an ‘us and them’ molecule2”
From Oxytocin increases anxiety to unpredictable threat (2013) · cites this paper as [2]
Oxytocin encourages territoriality, aggression, and other defensive actions directed at out-group members.
“OT also promotes territoriality, aggression and other defensive behaviors toward out-group members,2”
From Oxytocin increases anxiety to unpredictable threat (2013) · cites this paper as [2]
Oxytocin boosts anti-social behaviors towards unfamiliar individuals.
“OT boosts anti-social behaviors towards unfamiliar individuals.2,3”
From Oxytocin increases anxiety to unpredictable threat (2013) · cites this paper as [2]
Intranasal administration of oxytocin enhances in-group cooperation and trust and out-group defensive, but not offensive, competition in men.
“Intranasal administration of oxytocin enhances in-group cooperation and trust (8, 9) and out-group defensive, but not offensive, competition in men (8).”
From Oxytocin reactivity during intergroup conflict in wild chimpanzees (2017) · cites this paper as [8]
Using an ecologically relevant paradigm, the study found that the oxytocinergic system, a highly conserved physiological mechanism, is involved in cohesion during intergroup conflict in chimpanzees, as suggested for humans.
“Using an ecologically relevant paradigm, we found that the oxytocinergic system, a highly conserved physiological mechanism (5), is involved in cohesion during intergroup conflict in chimpanzees, as suggested for humans (8).”
From Oxytocin reactivity during intergroup conflict in wild chimpanzees (2017) · cites this paper as [8]
Oxytocin can increase the positive view and benign approach of the in-group.
“It can increase the positive view and benign approach of the in-group”
From Oxytocin promotes coordinated out-group attack during intergroup conflict in humans (2019) · cites this paper as De Dreu et al., 2010
Oxytocin has been linked to subtle forms of intergroup discrimination.
“has been linked to subtle forms of intergroup discrimination”
From Oxytocin promotes coordinated out-group attack during intergroup conflict in humans (2019) · cites this paper as De Dreu et al., 2010
Oxytocin shifts focus from self-interest to in-group interests, limits trust and cooperation to in-group members, and promotes aggression toward threatening rivals.
“oxytocin shifts the focus from self-interest to in-group interests (De Dreu and Kret, 2016), limits trust and cooperation to in-group members (De Dreu et al., 2010; Ma et al., 2015; Ten Velden et al., 2017), and promotes aggression toward threatening rivals (Madden and Clutton-Brock, 2011; Samuni et al., 2017; Striepens et al., 2012; Ne'eman et al., 2016).”
From Oxytocin promotes coordinated out-group attack during intergroup conflict in humans (2019) · cites this paper as De Dreu et al., 2010
Exogenously administered oxytocin enhances cooperative behaviour between related animals, and behaviours associated with trust and generosity between unrelated humans.
“If exogenously administered, oxytocin enhances cooperative behaviour [22,23] between related animals, and behaviours associated with trust [24][25][26] and generosity [27] between unrelated humans.”
From Food sharing is linked to urinary oxytocin levels and bonding in related and unrelated wild chimpanzees (2014) · cites this paper as [23]
Sharers may experience a mutual increase in positive attitude, resulting in the promotion of stronger social bonds and longer-term benefits of more frequent cooperation.
“Also, as oxytocin is thought to act on positive feedback circuits [16,17,21], sharers may experience a mutual increase in positive attitude [15,79,80], resulting in the promotion of stronger social bonds and longer-term benefits of more frequent cooperation [23,26,80].”
From Food sharing is linked to urinary oxytocin levels and bonding in related and unrelated wild chimpanzees (2014) · cites this paper as [23]
Intranasal oxytocin has been shown to improve altruism only for people perceived to be part of an individual's group, and not for people perceived to be part of an out-group.
“For example, intranasal oxytocin has been shown to improve altruism only for people perceived to be part of an individual's group, and not for people perceived to be part of an out-group (De Dreu et al., 2010; De Dreu et al., 2011).”
From Acute intranasal oxytocin improves positive self-perceptions of personality (2012) · cites this paper as De Dreu et al., 2010
Oxytocin has been shown to increase altruism.
“altruism (23)”
From Oxytocin administration to parent enhances infant physiological and behavioral readiness for social engagement (2012) · cites this paper as [23]
More recent studies have demonstrated some antisocial effects of OT in both humans and other animals.
“Additionally, more recent studies have demonstrated some antisocial effects of OT in both humans (De Dreu et al., 2010, De Dreu et al., 2011, Eckstein et al., 2014, Shamay-Tsoory et al., 2009) and other animals (Duque-Wilckens et al., 2018, Guzmán et al., 2013, Huang et al., 2014).”
From Wireless Optogenetic Stimulation of Oxytocin Neurons in a Semi-natural Setup Dynamically Elevates Both Pro-social and Agonistic Behaviors (2020) · cites this paper as De Dreu et al., 2010
Oxytocin increases cooperation and trust in others, but also envy and gloating during loss and defensive responses and punishment for the out-group during threatening conditions.
“Researchers have found that OT increases cooperation and trust in others, but also envy and gloating during the experience of loss and defensive responses and punishment for the out-group during threatening conditions (De Dreu et al. 2010; Kosfeld et al. 2005; Shamay-Tsoory et al. 2009).”
From A precision medicine approach to oxytocin trials (2017) · cites this paper as De Dreu et al. 2010
Recent studies indicate that the beneficial effects of oxytocin are more nuanced than previously thought.
“However, recent studies indicate that the beneficial effects of oxytocin are more nuanced than previously thought (Bartz et al., 2010;De Dreu et al., 2010;Van IJzendoorn et al., 2011).”
From Oxytocin effects on complex brain networks are moderated by experiences of maternal love withdrawal (2013) · cites this paper as De Dreu et al., 2010
Oxytocin increases defensive reactions to out-group members.
“De Dreu et al. (2010) showed that oxytocin increases in-group altruism, but also increases defensive reactions to out-group members.”
From Oxytocin effects on complex brain networks are moderated by experiences of maternal love withdrawal (2013) · cites this paper as De Dreu et al. (2010)
Oxytocin increases in-group altruism.
“De Dreu et al. (2010) showed that oxytocin increases in-group altruism, but also increases defensive reactions to out-group members.”
From Oxytocin effects on complex brain networks are moderated by experiences of maternal love withdrawal (2013) · cites this paper as De Dreu et al. (2010)
OT does not always promote approach behaviors; its effects depend on context and individual differences.
“Yet OT does not always promote approach behaviors, and has been shown to be dependent both on context and on individual differences.For example, in some contexts OT has been shown to promote risk aversion (Declerck et al., 2010), envy (Shamay-Tsoory et al., 2009) and lack of cooperation with perceived out-group members (De Dreu et al., 2010).”
From OT promotes closer interpersonal distance among highly empathic individuals (2015) · cites this paper as De Dreu et al., 2010
Intranasal oxytocin promotes cooperation.
“cooperation (De Dreu et al, 2010)”
From Oxytocin Facilitates Pavlovian Fear Learning in Males (2016) · cites this paper as De Dreu et al, 2010
Intranasal oxytocin promotes defensive aggression towards competing outgroups.
“promotes defensive aggression towards competing outgroups (De Dreu et al, 2010)”
From Oxytocin Facilitates Pavlovian Fear Learning in Males (2016) · cites this paper as De Dreu et al, 2010
OT increases in-group love and protectionism.
“in-group love and protectionism [8]”
From A direct examination of the effect of intranasal administration of oxytocin on approach-avoidance motor responses to emotional stimuli (2013) · cites this paper as [8]
Oxytocin can promote aversive avoidance behavior by increasing envy and schadenfreude, ethnocentrism, group-serving dishonesty, and noncooperation.
“it can also promote aversive avoidance behavior by increasing envy and schadenfreude (Shamay-Tsoory et al., 2009), ethnocentrism (e.g., trust and empathy; De Dreu et al., 2010; Sheng et al., 2013), group-serving dishonesty (Shalvi and De Dreu, 2014), and noncooperation (Bartz et al., 2011; De Dreu et al., 2012).”
From Oxytocin facilitates approach behavior to positive social stimuli via decreasing anterior insula activity (2018) · cites this paper as De Dreu et al., 2010
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“De Dreu et al. (2010) suggested that oxytocin drives a “tend and defend” response promoting in-group trust and cooperation, but at the same time enhancing defensive aggression toward competing out-groups.”
BackgroundInfluential
- Authors
- De Dreu, C. K. W., Greer, L. L., Handgraaf, M. J. J., Shalvi, S., Van Kleef, G. A., Baas, M., Ten Velden, F. S., Van Dijk, E., & Feith, S. W. W.
- Affiliations
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Roetersstraat 15, 1018 WB Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- University of Amsterdam (NL)
- Department of Psychology, Leiden University, Postbox 9555, 2300 RB, Netherlands.
- Stichting AllesKits, Cypruslaan 410, 3059 XA Rotterdam, Netherlands.
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2010-06-11
- Volume
- 328
- Issue
- 5984
- Pages
- 1408-1411
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2122682494
- Cited by
- 1,148
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 29 · 2025: 59 · 2024: 51 · 2023: 37 · 2022: 41 · 2021: 88 · 2020: 106 · 2019: 109 · 2018: 57 · 2017: 72 · 2016: 86 · 2015: 85 · 2014: 91 · 2013: 89 · 2012: 75
- FWCI
- 103.13
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (publishedVersion)
- EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (publishedVersion)
- EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion)
- UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- 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, parochial altruism, intergroup conflict, in-group favoritism, in-group trust, cooperation, defensive aggression
- MeSH terms
- Aggression, Altruism, Conflict, Psychological, Cooperative Behavior, Decision Making, Double-Blind Method, Game Theory, Group Processes, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Oxytocin, Trust, Young Adult
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