Psychoneuroendocrinology
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Psychoneuroendocrinology · Nov 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialStress-induced negative mood moderates the relation between oxytocin administration and trust: evidence for the tend-and-befriend response to stress?
Recent evidence suggests that oxytocin, a nonapeptide posited to underlie the affiliation-related "tend-and-befriend" behavioral response to stress (Taylor et al., 2000), may improve interpersonal functioning by facilitating the acquisition of social support during times of distress. The assertion, however, has not been explicitly tested in humans. Thus, we examined whether the effect of oxytocin on self-perceived trust is magnified in individuals who experienced higher ratings of negative mood following social rejection. ⋯ These results demonstrate that oxytocin may promote the acquisition of social support in times of distress by increasing self-perceived trust. The findings provide empirical support that oxytocin promotes an affiliation-related behavioral response to stress, consistent with the tend-and-befriend theory.