Wednesday, February 25, 2009

TRUST AND OXYTOCIN



Neurobiology researchers prove that the Neurotransmitter Oxytocin has a strong influence and effect on trust in animals and in humans. 


5 comments:

  1. Are scientists thinking of using Oxytocin for medicinal purposes? Do they hope to learn more about how trust works in the brain or are they hoping to be able to treat social phobias/use their findings to manipulate the brain?

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  2. This article was really interesting and applicable! I think that social phobias/anxiety is so significant in today's culture. I would be interested to know about more studies dealing with Oxytocin and what people or life scenarios/disorders they have found it correlates to specifically.

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  3. Man, some of these ethics...
    I'm also curious about how they plan to use it. I was reading an article earlier about a pill that was supposed to make you forget some of the more painful memories in your life, I wonder it had anything to do with Oxytocin (I'll try and find the link for you).

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  4. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1145777/Pill-erase-bad-memories-Ethical-furore-drugs-threaten-human-identity.html

    i'm really not sure how reliable it is, but hey, it's cool!

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  5. Oxytocin is a hormone "associated with social attachment"....but what other effects does it have. I think that if our experiences define the way we see the world, using hormones to change the way we feel about what we have learned could have unpredictable results. Are they considering treating people who naturally have oxyticin deficiencies or is it simply intended for use by people who have been dumped and are now dealing with commitment issues?

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