Kosfeld. (2005) Oxytocin increases trust in humans Flashcards
Describe the trust game and the risk game. What is the difference between these two games and why was the risk game used?
The trust game
- involves an investor and a trustee
- both individuals are given 12 monetary units of money
- investor is asked to make the initial decision and decide how many monetary units they would like to give to the trustee
- on the way to the trustee - the amount that the investor sends to the trustee is tripled
- trustee gets to decide based on the amount given by the investor how much he would like to return
- once the return is completed, the game is over
The Risk Game
- same rules as the trust game except all participants get to play as an investor
- instead of just transferring money to a trustee, they transfer it to a project
- serves as a control
How was OT administered and when was it administered in relation to the trust game?
Single instranasal dosage of 24 IU
Administered 50 minutes prior to either trust/risk game
Why did Kosfeld et al. conclude that OT does not increase the general inclination to behave prosocially? What evidence supported this?
- If it were true that the trustee given the OT would make higher transder at nay given level thatn trustees who received the placebo.
- however, trustees given the OT do not show more trustworthy behavior
- OT specifically affects the trusting behavior of the investor
Kosfeld et al. concluded that OT increased trust because it changed two factors that influence trust. What are the two factors and in what way were they changed by OT?
- OT helps subjects to overcome betrayal aversion in social interactions
- OT facilitates approach behacior by linking the overcoming social avoidance with activation of reward circuits in the brain
T/F
OT increased trust by decreasing investors aversion risk
FALSE
OT increased trust by increasing investors expectations of reciprocity from the trustees
TRUE
OT increased trust by decreasing investors aversion to betrayal
TRUE
