Intranasal Administration of Oxytocin Increases Envy and Schadenfreude (Gloating)

Shamay‐Tsoory, Simone G.; Fischer, Meytal; Dvash, Jonathan; Harari, Hagai; Perach-Bloom, Nufar; Levkovitz, Yechiel

doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.06.009

Cited by 442 publications

(296 citation statements)

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“…The full profile of subjective and behavioral effects of oxytocin remains to be determined. Other studies have used further measures of prosocial behaviors, showing that oxytocin increases measures of trust, generosity, and interpersonal communication (Kosfeld et al, 2005;Zak et al, 2007;Ditzen et al, 2009;for review, see MacDonald and MacDonald, 2010), while other researchers have shown that oxytocin can produce antisocial behaviors, such as feelings of envy and mistrust (Bartz et al, 2011a;Declerck et al, 2010;Shamay-Tsoory et al, 2009; for review, see Bartz et al, 2011b). The reasons for the differences are not known, but may include characteristics of the subject samples (eg, age, gender, and hormonal state) or testing environment (eg, outcome measures used, social and physical context of testing).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, oxytocin has been shown to increase trust and generosity (Kosfeld et al, 2005;Zak et al, 2007), reduce responses to social stressors (Heinrichs et al, 2003), increase positive communication (Ditzen et al, 2009), and, like MDMA, enhance recognition of positive emotional states and dampen responses to negative emotions in others (Di Simplicio et al, 2009;Domes et al, 2007a,b;Marsh et al, 2010;Shahrestani et al, 2013). On the other hand, other studies have failed to detect prosocial effects of oxytocin, and indeed, found that it can produce antisocial effects such as feelings of envy and mistrust (Bartz et al, 2011a;Declerck et al, 2010;Shamay-Tsoory et al, 2009). The conditions under which oxytocin enhances, or impairs, social interaction remain to be determined.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of MDMA and Intranasal Oxytocin on Social and Emotional Processing

Kirkpatrick

Lee

Wardle

et al. 2014

Neuropsychopharmacol

117

129

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MDMA (±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, 'ecstasy') is used recreationally, reportedly because it increases feelings of empathy, sociability, and interpersonal closeness. One line of evidence suggests that MDMA produces these effects by releasing oxytocin, a peptide involved in social bonding. In the current study, we investigated the acute effects of MDMA and oxytocin on social and emotional processing in healthy human volunteers. MDMA users (N ¼ 65) participated in a 4-session, within-between-subjects study in which they received oral MDMA (0.75, 1.5 mg/kg), intranasal oxytocin (20 or 40 IU), or placebo under double-blind conditions. The primary outcomes included measures of emotion recognition and sociability (desire to be with others). Cardiovascular and subjective effects were also assessed. As expected, MDMA dose-dependently increased heart rate and blood pressure and feelings of euphoria (eg, 'High' and 'Like Drug'). On measures of social function, MDMA impaired recognition of angry and fearful facial expressions, and the larger dose (1.5 mg/kg) increased desire to be with others, compared with placebo. Oxytocin produced small but significant increases in feelings of sociability and enhanced recognition of sad facial expressions. Additionally, responses to oxytocin were related to responses to MDMA with subjects on two subjective measures of sociability. Thus, MDMA increased euphoria and feelings of sociability, perhaps by reducing sensitivity to subtle signs of negative emotions in others. The present findings provide only limited support for the idea that oxytocin produces the prosocial effects of MDMA.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of MDMA and Intranasal Oxytocin on Social and Emotional Processing

Kirkpatrick

Lee

Wardle

et al. 2014

Neuropsychopharmacol

117

129

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…This prosocial perspective on OXT is challenged, however, by evidence that OXT also enhances envy and schadenfreude (gloating) (16), ethno-centrism (including prejudice, xenophobia, and racial bias) (4), and outgroup derogation (17). Moreover, OXT hinders trust and cooperation when social information about interaction partners is lacking (18).…”

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confidence: 99%

Oxytocin facilitates protective responses to aversive social stimuli in males

Striepens

Scheele

Kendrick

et al. 2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

235

190

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The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) can enhance the impact of positive social cues but may reduce that of negative ones by inhibiting amygdala activation, although it is unclear whether the latter causes blunted emotional and mnemonic responses. In two independent double-blind placebo-controlled experiments, each involving over 70 healthy male subjects, we investigated whether OXT affects modulation of startle reactivity by aversive social stimuli as well as subsequent memory for them. Intranasal OXT potentiated acoustic startle responses to negative stimuli, without affecting behavioral valence or arousal judgments, and biased subsequent memory toward negative rather than neutral items. A functional MRI analysis of this mnemonic effect revealed that, whereas OXT inhibited amygdala responses to negative stimuli, it facilitated left insula responses for subsequently remembered items and increased functional coupling between the left amygdala, left anterior insula, and left inferior frontal gyrus. Our results therefore show that OXT can potentiate the protective and mnemonic impact of aversive social information despite reducing amygdala activity, and suggest that the insula may play a role in emotional modulation of memory. (5), social recognition (6-8) and related memory (9-11), social reinforcement learning and emotional empathy (12), and social judgments (13)(14)(15).This prosocial perspective on OXT is challenged, however, by evidence that OXT also enhances envy and schadenfreude (gloating) (16), ethno-centrism (including prejudice, xenophobia, and racial bias) (4), and outgroup derogation (17). Moreover, OXT hinders trust and cooperation when social information about interaction partners is lacking (18). Furthermore, OXT appears to negatively bias recollections of maternal care and closeness and to diminish trust and cooperation in insecurely or anxiously attached individuals (19,20).In an attempt to reconcile this controversial evidence, it has been proposed that the social effects of OXT could be mediated by reduced anxiety or by an increased perceptual salience of social cues (21). The anxiolytic action of OXT has been confirmed by showing reduced amygdala responses to aversive social stimuli in healthy people (22-25; but see also refs. 26 and 27), and subjects with social phobia (28). It is compatible with decreased endocrine and subjective responses to social stress (29), as well as reduced negative cognitive self-appraisal in individuals scoring high in traitanxiety (30). In contrast, the social salience hypothesis has gained substantial support from studies demonstrating increased eye contact (31) and improved mind-reading from facial expressions (32) as a result of OXT treatment. Whether these mechanisms quintessentially yield positive or negative social outcomes may vary depending on contextual or person-specific characteristics (21). An alternative view holds that emotional valence may be the key in guiding the social effects of OXT, with it facilitating social approach to positive cues and inhibiting...

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“…Studies with other peptides (e.g., vasopressin) administered intranasally have found that they are absorbed within 30 min, as assessed by peptide levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (Born et al, 2002). Other experimental work with intranasal oxytocin in humans has consistently utilized an absorption period ranging between 40 and 50 min (Heinrichs et al, 2003;Kosfeld et al, 2005;Shamay-Tsoory et al, 2009). In our study, behavioral testing did not begin until at least 45 min post-administration and continued for approximately 45 additional minutes.…”

Section: Arrival and Nasal Spray Administrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further, there is evidence that experiencing positive emotions can improve a range of perceptual and performancebased behaviors (Fredrickson, 2001;Isen, 2000). However, research is accumulating to suggest that OT administration can be less beneficial or even detrimental in some contexts (e.g., Campbell, 2008;Shamay-Tsoory et al, 2009;De Dreu et al, 2010) and when administered at higher concentrations (e.g., Cardoso et al, 2013). Similarly, it has been argued that high levels of positive emotions can be detrimental in some contexts (Gruber et al, 2011;Oishi et al, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combining oxytocin administration and positive emotion inductions: Examining social perception and analytical performance

Human

Thorson

Woolley

et al. 2017

Hormones and Behavior

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a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f oIntranasal administration of the hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) has, in some studies, been associated with positive effects on social perception and cognition. Similarly, positive emotion inductions can improve a range of perceptual and performance-based behaviors. In this exploratory study, we examined how OT administration and positive emotion inductions interact in their associations with social and analytical performance. Participants (N = 124) were randomly assigned to receive an intranasal spray of OT (40 IU) or placebo and then viewed one of three videos designed to engender one of the following emotion states: social warmth, pride, or an affectively neutral state. Following the emotion induction, participants completed social perception and analytical tasks. There were no significant main effects of OT condition on social perception tasks, failing to replicate prior research, or on analytical performance. Further, OT condition and positive emotion inductions did not interact with each other in their associations with social perception performance. However, OT condition and positive emotion manipulations did significantly interact in their associations with analytical performance. Specifically, combining positive emotion inductions with OT administration was associated with worse analytical performance, with the pride induction no longer benefiting performance and the warmth induction resulting in worse performance. In sum, we found little evidence for main or interactive effects of OT on social perception but preliminary evidence that OT administration may impair analytical performance when paired with positive emotion inductions.

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Intranasal Administration of Oxytocin Increases Envy and Schadenfreude (Gloating)

Cited by 442 publications

References 40 publications

Effects of MDMA and Intranasal Oxytocin on Social and Emotional Processing

Effects of MDMA and Intranasal Oxytocin on Social and Emotional Processing

Oxytocin facilitates protective responses to aversive social stimuli in males

Combining oxytocin administration and positive emotion inductions: Examining social perception and analytical performance

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