8/9/2019 The Hormone of Love and Hate

1/3

The Hormone of Love and Hate

Nicky Blackburn

According to a new study by an Israeli researcher the'love' hormone oxytocin, that controls behaviors such astrust and empathy, also affects negative behaviors like

jealousy and gloating.It has been known for some time that the oxytocinhormone has an impact on positive feelings. Thehormone is released in the body naturally during

8/9/2019 The Hormone of Love and Hate

2/3

childbirth and sex. But the study by Dr. Simone Shamay-Tsoory of the University of Haifa also shows that thishormone has an impact on antisocial behaviors.

"Subsequent to these findings, we assume that thehormone is an overall trigger for social sentiments: Whenthe person's association is positive, oxytocin bolsters pro-social behaviors; when the association is negative, thehormone increases negative sentiments," says Shamay-

Tsoory.

According to a new study by an Israeli researcher the'love' hormone oxytocin, that controls behaviors such as

trust and empathy, also affects negative behaviors likejealousy and gloating.

It has been known for some time that the oxytocinhormone has an impact on positive feelings. Thehormone is released in the body naturally duringchildbirth and sex. But the study by Dr. Simone Shamay-

Tsoory of the University of Haifa also shows that thishormone has an impact on antisocial behaviors.

"Subsequent to these findings, we assume that thehormone is an overall trigger for social sentiments: Whenthe person's association is positive, oxytocin bolsters pro-social behaviors; when the association is negative, thehormone increases negative sentiments," says Shamay-

Tsoory.

Fifty-six volunteers took part in Shamay-Tsoory's study,

which was published recently in the journal of BiologicalPsychiatry. Half of the participants inhaled the syntheticform of the hormone in the first session and were given aplacebo in the second, while the others received aplacebo in the first session and oxytocin in the second.

Envy and gloating

8/9/2019 The Hormone of Love and Hate

3/3

After receiving the hormone, participants were asked toplay a game of luck against a competitor. The competitorwas actually a computer, but none of the volunteers knewthis.

The study found that volunteers who inhaled oxytocinshowed higher levels of envy when their opponent wonmore money, and gloated more when they were in thelead, than those who had not inhaled the hormone.

In earlier studies, researchers discovered that subjectswho inhaled the synthetic form of the hormone showedhigher levels of altruistic feelings, and some hoped itcould be used as a medication for people with disorderslike autism.

"The results of the present study show that thehormone's undesirable effects on behavior must beexamined before moving ahead," Shamay-Tsooryconcludes.

Nicky Blackburn is editor ofIsrael 21c from where thisarticle is adapted.

http://www.israel21c.org/http://www.israel21c.org/