Baumgartner et al 2008 (Biological) RELATIONSHIPS

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

Investigate the role of the oxytocin following breaches of trust

Question 2

Sample

Answer 2

49 participants

Question 3

Procedure

Answer 3

Essentially, the participants were placed in an fMRI scanner and they received either oxytocin or a placebo. In one condition, they played several rounds of a trust game with the other participants in the experiment.

In another condition, they were told they were going to play a “risk game” with a computer, instead of another human being as a control to ensure oxytocin specifically affected trust between humans rather than general risk taking.

They then assessed how participants would invest after being told this.

To make participants experience a breach of trust, they were told that their investment decisions led to poor returns since their trust had been broken.

Question 4

Findings

Answer 4

This feedback resulted in players who had been given the placebo to decrease their trust and those who had been given oxytocin, to continue to invest how they were investing before.

Furthermore, the oxytocin group showed decreases in responses in the amygdala which is linked to fear learning, showing that oxytocin may play a role in decreasing fear reactions that may arise as a consequence of betrayal.

Interestingly, observed these results only when the participants played the trust game with humans but not when they played the risk game with a computer, showing that oxytocin’s effect only works with real people.

Essentially, it seems that oxytocin makes people trustful even after their trust has been violated by lowering defense mechanisms associated with social risk.

Question 5

2 Positive points

Answer 5

• Highly controlled experiment due to use of a placebo increasing researchers ability to infer a cause-and-effect relationship between IV and DV.
• Use of fMRI allowed researchers to observe activity in the brain during the study

Question 6

2 negative points

Answer 6

• Artificial environement which effects ecological validity
• Reductionist argument. Other factors (like sociocultural) may affect the degree to which we can continue to trust someone

Question 7

IV

Answer 7

Oxytocin or placebo

Question 8

DV

Answer 8

Level of trust