Love

Question 1

What did Bartels and Zeki do?

Answer 1

neural correlates of maternal and romantic love
fMRI studies on humans, subtracted looking at partner and associated feelings from looking at another romantic partner
same for with daughters

Question 2

What were Bartels and Zeki’s results?

Answer 2

Both types of attachment activated regions specific to each and overlapping with regions in brains reward system - coincides with areas rich in oxytocin and vasopressin receptors

Question 3

How is there such extensive knowledge of oxytocin/vasopressin rich areas?

Answer 3

animal work - particularly prairie (monogamous) and meadow voles (nonmonogamous)

Question 4

Summarise Oxytocin and Vasopressin?

Answer 4

both prosocial neuropeptides
oxytocin = female and vasopressin = male
oxytocin promoted in maternal/paternal behaviour
oxytocin also promotes adult pair bonding

Question 5

where is oxytocin receptor density high?

Answer 5

nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex

Question 6

who tested the receptor density of oxytocin?

Answer 6

young 2001 - infusing oxytocin receptor agonist into nucleus accumbens = no increase in partner preference but into caudate = increased partner preference
Ross 2009 - looked at varying levels of oxytocin receptor in nucleus accumbens

Question 7

what did ross 2009 find?

Answer 7

meadow voles = low receptor density and display nonmnogamous social behaviours whereas prairie voles have high receptor density and display monogamous behaviour
summarised that infusion of oxytocin receptor agonist in NuAcc blocks partner preference for mating/stranger

Question 8

example of oxytocin in mating behaviour?

Answer 8

oxytocin released during vaginocervical stimulation in sheep

Question 9

summary for oxytocin and vasopressin in animals?

Answer 9

overexpression in polygamous voles promotes monogamous behaviour
animals used to increase understanding of genes, behaviours and neuropeptides
variation in release can be used to predict romantic displays and is linked to quality of relationship

Question 10

who tested whether oxytocin promotes trust?

Answer 10

Kosfeld - intranasal oxytocin increases investment in investors game but also trustee can betray investor
fMRI = oxytocin promotes trust even after betrayal - found reduced amygdala activation and increased caudate

Question 11

oxytocin underling prosocial effects. give an example?

Answer 11

MDMA increases trust and warmth in rats

found that it activates oxytocin releasing hypothalamic neurons therefore increases oxytocin levels

Question 12

oxytocin and self-recogntion in animals

Answer 12

test on rodents depends on memory and olfactory signatures

results showed a decline in Ps - habituate to conspecific

Question 13

vasopressin and self recognition

Answer 13

male mice exposed to ovariectomised female mouse for 5 mins then to a novel ovariectomised female mouse
results showed that increase in male mouse decreased overtime then increased with novel females

Question 14

who knocked out the vasopressin gene and what did they find?

Answer 14

Belsky 2004 - found that it severely impaired male mice social recognition

Question 15

who looked at eye movement in humans and what did they find?

Answer 15

Adam and Dadds 2008 - oxytocin increases gaze to eye region in humans
those given oxytocin spend double the time looking at eye region

Question 16

are we evolved to look at eyes? and example

Answer 16

Yes - Baron-Cohen 2001 - reading the mind in eyes using normal, autistic and Aspergers Ps
found that those with autism and AD performed worse
Domes 2007 - people able to read others minds with increased oxytocin

Question 17

what could oxytocin therefore be used to treat?

Answer 17

those with Aspergers syndrome as it enhances the ability to interpret and infer mental states

Question 18

oxytocin and empathy. 2 examples?

Answer 18

Rodrigues 2009 - oxytocin receptor genetic variation relates to empathy and stress reactivity, found that those carrying the Adenine allele have increased likelihood of ASD diagnosis
Davis 1983 examined individual differences in empathy - identified 3 dimensions = perspective taking, empathic concern and fantasy

Question 19

summarise oxytocin and empathy

Answer 19

variation in oxytocin signalling underlies portion of individual differences in mentalising

Question 20

who studied oxytocin and parenting in animals?

Answer 20

Ross and Young 2009 - oxytocin promotes attachment to mother, therefore oxytocin knockout mice take longer to return to mother
also found that oxytocin knockout mice have reduced maternal behaviour - less time licking, crouching over pups

Question 21

oxytocin and parenting in humans?

Answer 21

Gordon and Feldman 2012 - measured oxytocin blood levels
positive correlation’s for both mother and father
higher levels of oxytocin = more they touch their babies
Feldman 2012 - oxytocin facilitates process of maternal care

Question 22

summarise love - 3 points

Answer 22

individual differences in abilities in parenting and empathising
eye contact and interpretation of eye related information is important aspect of ID in social behaviours
oxytocin and oxytocin signalling genes predict ID in empathising, parenting and relationships