Hormones Flashcards
What are hormones?
Hormones are chemicals that affect human behaviour. They are produced by glands that make up the endocrine system. They enter directly into the bloodstream and therefore take longer than neurotransmitters to produce changes in behaviour.
Describe what an oxytocin does to the body?
Oxytocin is a hormone that acts primarily as a neurotransmitter in the brain. It has been long known that the hormone is released during labour and facilitates birth, breastfeeding and initiation of maternal behaviour. Oxytocin is also found in pair bonding and social behaviour such as trust.
What is the aim of Baumgartner’s 2008 study?
To investigate the role of oxytocin following breaches of trust.
Procedure of Baumgartner’s study?
The study had 49 participants placed in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner and given either oxytocin or a placebo via nasal spray.
They were then asked to play a “trust game” in which they were assigned a role as investor or trustees. The investors were given a choice to invest the sum of money that had. If they do so, the total investment would be tripled. The trustee will now decide if they will keep the sum for their own or split the amount with the investor: by keeping the money a breach in trust was created.
In condition 1, participants played as investors with different trustees. In condition 2, the participants played against a computer instead.
Findings of Baumgartner’s study?
The results revealed that participants who took the placebo were more likely to decrease their trust after being told that their trust had been broken.
However, participants who received oxytocin were still likely to invest despite having their trust broken.
Moreover, fMRI scans revealed the participants who received oxytocin had decreased responses in the amygdala (region of brain involved in learning and memory); in the case it played a role in reward-related responses and learning to trust.
Conclusions of Baumgartner’s study?
This shows that oxytocin may have a role in decreasing fear reactions that are consequences of betrayal which may influence future decisions. Additionally, oxytocin may facilitate expressions of trust and lower mechanisms associated with risk by ignoring the negative outcomes. It also seemed that oxytocin only plays a role in human interaction.
Strengths of Baumgartner’s study?
Repeated measures design which minimises individual differences.
Lab experiment: cause and effect can be established.
Study was similar to real life situations to an extent: ecological validity.
Use of fMRI to investigate brain activity.
Limitations of Baumgartner’s study?
Repeated measures could have made participants aware of the nature of the experiment and may have affected the results.
What is the aim of Kosfeld et al’s 2005 study?
To check whether oxytocin affected trust in humans. `
Procedure of Kosfeld’s study?
Humans were given either oxytocin intranasally or as a placebo. The independent variable was what chemical the humans received. The dependent variable was their behaviour in a trust game: do you trust the investor?
In the trust game, the participant was an investor who could choose to invest 4 monetary units and possibly get 12 monetary units in return.
Findings of Kosfeld’s study?
The oxytocin group was more willing to trust the investor.
Conclusions of Kosfeld’s study?
This suggests that oxytocin increases our feelings of trustworthiness in others.
Strengths of Kosfeld’s study?
They did a follow up study to ensure that oxytocin was not just increasing riskier behaviour.
Limitations of Kosfeld’s study?
The participants did not earn the money they used in the study.
You can argue that people are more careful with money they have earned themselves.
Describe the role of testosterone on the body.
A hormone commonly associated with aggression and selfish behaviour. Linked to sexual development in males during puberty. Produced mostly in the testes in men and in the ovaries and adrenal glands in women.
