Hormones Flashcards
hormones main discusion
chemicals secreted by glands and realseased through bloodstream to target organs. slower that neurotransmitters(endocrine system). Have effects on our behaviour/feelings. Pitutary gland is the master gland. One hormone released by the pitutary gland is ocytocin. it acts as neurotranmitter in brain. its responsible for social interaction and sexual reproduction its the love hormone. its linked with trust.
Baumgartner et al
in 2008 baumgartner investigated the role of oxytocin after breaches of trust in a game. Participants played a trust game. player 1 was the investor and received money and had to decide whether to share it with player 2. if sum was shared it was tripled. then player 2 decides whether to share or keep it. FMRI scans were carried out on 49 male university students. it was double blind. particpants either recived oxytocin or placebo. they either played with a person or against computer. 50% broke trust. The researchers found that placebo group decreased trust after finding out they were lied to. OT group still trusted. brain activity was less in amygdala in OT. involed eith emotional processing. placebo had more activation. results only applied when playing with real people and NOT WITH COMPUTER. so oxytocin affecrs trust with real people interactions. they concluded OT plays a role in trust.
Evaluation of baumgartner et al
lab experiment so highly controlled,increasing internal validity.
placebo group as control group allows to create cause and effect relationship. FMRI allows documantation of acticity and therefore replicabilty of findings.
FMRI may lower ecological validity( not natural enviroment) . hormone ot is very complicated so we can simplify results. And claim that ot affects trust is reductionist( other factors matter as well)
Guastella et al
guastella in 2008 measured the effects of oxytocin on males and how it enhances social information. 69 healthy males took part ans were either given a nasal spray with oxytocin or placebo. they then saw 36 happy,anfry or neutral human faces. next day they had to remember 72 new and old faces. they found that the OT group were more likely to remember previsously happy faces than anfry/neutral. OT did not have an effect on new faces. They concluded that OT administratiom for males enhances positive social information and makes it more memorable. Results show OT perhaps enhances intimacy and bonding by strenthing recall of info.
evaluation of guastella et al
There is high internal validity since this a lab experiment. A cause and effect relationship between oxytocin and encoding positive info can be established. The study is replicable increasing its reliability and validity. Study cant be generalized to females since only males took part. and cant be generalised to all males since nkt all may recognise expressions accuratly. Hormone behaviour relationship is complex. there is a bidirectional relationship between oxytocin and trust. theredore OT can trigger human interaction and that affects OT levels.
