Research ReportIntranasal Oxytocin Increases Positive Communication and Reduces Cortisol Levels During Couple Conflict
Section snippets
Methods and Materials
Forty-seven heterosexual couples (n = 94 subjects), aged 20–50 years, who were married or had been cohabiting for at least 1 year participated in the study. Exclusion criteria for participation were smoking, chronic mental or physical illness, medication intake and, for women, the intake of hormonal contraceptives, current pregnancy, and breastfeeding. All women were investigated during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. Subjects were informed that we were interested in hormonal
Results
The two groups did not significantly differ in any demographic or baseline characteristics (age, body mass index, years of education, duration of relationship, relationship quality, chronic stress, and general health symptoms), in baseline cortisol levels (−50 min relative to the onset of the conflict), or cortisol levels immediately before conflict (−1 min) (Supplement 1).
Oxytocin significantly increased the duration of positive behavior in relation to negative behavior during the couple
Discussion
The findings of this initial study on the effects of intranasal oxytocin on human couple interaction suggest that oxytocin increased the duration of positive behavior in relation to negative behavior during a conflict discussion and reduced salivary cortisol levels after this conflict in both women and men.
A large body of studies in nonhuman mammals suggests an involvement of central oxytocinergic mechanisms in the regulation of attachment behavior and affiliation (for reviews see 10, 36). Our
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