Social Psychology Clinical Trial
Official title:
Neuropeptides and Social Behavior
It has long been established that interpersonal relationships can have a profound impact on
health and well-being. Yet, we are still learning about the complex biological processes
that contribute to positive social interactions and the ability to develop and maintain
social relationships. Recent research has begun to focus on oxytocin and vasopressin,
neuropeptides that are naturally produced in the hypothalamus, because administration of
these neuropeptides has been associated with increased trust, generosity, empathy,
cooperation, memory of social stimuli (e.g., faces), and brain activity in neural regions
associated with social and emotional processes. To date, several aspects of oxytocin and
vasopressin's effects on social behavior have been unexplored. As such, the overarching goal
of this project is to examine the effects of intranasal oxytocin and vasopressin on social
working memory, deception detection, sensitivity to interpersonal distance, empathy, and
altruistic behavior. Understanding how oxytocin and vasopressin influence these aspects of
social functioning will help to inform research that has begun to establish the potential
for use of these neuropeptides in psychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorders
and schizophrenia that are characterized by social deficits. For this study, we will recruit
150 healthy adults without a history of medical or psychiatric illness to come to the
laboratory. In the first session, participants will complete several questionnaires. In the
second session, participants will be randomly assigned to receive oxytocin, vasopressin, or
placebo. The study nurses will measure temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure (female
participants will also be asked to undergo a pregnancy test) before drug administration.
Participants will then complete computer tasks. During the second session, we will also
collect a saliva sample for genetic analysis and participants will be asked to complete
several additional questionnaires. At the end of the experimental session, participants will
be fully debriefed.
The investigators hypothesize that compared to placebo, oxytocin and/or vasopressin will
improve social working memory and deception detection, and increase empathy and altruism. It
is also hypothesized that main effects will not be found for oxytocin or vasopressin, but
rather, analyses of relevant moderators will elucidate these findings.
n/a
Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Factorial Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Investigator), Primary Purpose: Basic Science
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