Building trust via nasal spray - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

06-02-2005, 09:28 AM

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A Chemical For Trust?

Shakespeare told us to "love all, trust a few," even to "trust none, for oaths are straws." Despite such warnings, trust has always been at the centre of all human dealings -- romantic, commercial, or political -- even if the reasons for it have been murky.

But now Swiss researchers say they have finally isolated the secret: In oxytocin, we trust.

University students who inhaled the hormone in a nasal spray were discovered to be far more trusting of one another -- eager, in fact, to hand over money to strangers in investment deals.

The results suggest trust can be bottled and used to forge commercial relationships. Oxytocin levels have long been known to spike with sexual climax or influence the production of mothers' milk, but the new study suggests they are also "the biological basis of trust among humans."

"We find that intranasal administration of oxytocin causes a substantial increase in trusting behaviour," a research team said.

The team was led by Dr. Michael Kosfeld of the University of Zurich, whose findings appear in the journal Nature.

"Of course, this finding could be misused to induce trusting behaviours that selfish actors subsequently exploit," the team wrote. "However our findings may have positive clinical implications for patients with mental disorders."

The study already has some cynical scientists musing about whether political operatives will try to crop-dust crowds with oxytocin at rallies, whereas more hopeful researchers see the hormone as a potential boon in treating people with social phobias, or rare genetic disorders that cause children to trust everyone they meet.

Oxytocin -- not to be confused with Oxycontin, the increasingly popular painkiller gaining a reputation as "hillbilly heroin" -- has long been linked to sex, reproduction and motherhood.

Mammals produce it in parts of the brain that regulate social behaviour. The Swiss team pointed out that the hormone lets wild animals "overcome their natural avoidance of proximity." Farmers use the chemical to get cows to produce more milk.

For humans, the hormone has been produced synthetically since the 1950s, used by obstetricians to help induce labour. Naturally occurring oxytocin is more fun, but has its pitfalls. In fact, some sex counsellors warn new lovers not to jump into bed with one another, as orgasms increase levels of oxytocin and can thus impair judgment about a mate's character.

So in a sense, trust has always been associated with the hormone. But news has now arrived of oxytocin's more lucrative applications.

The Swiss researchers had 200 male university students take part in trust experiments. Half of the participants snorted oxytocin, and the others took a placebo. They were randomly assigned to be "investors" or "trustees" and given 12 "monetary units" to invest.

Investors were given the option of placing none, one-third, two-thirds or all of their money with the trustee, who promised to share whatever returns resulted. Nearly half (45 per cent) of the oxytocin group forked over all of their money, compared with only one-fifth (21 per cent) of the placebo group.

"Our data [show] that oxytocin increases investors' trust considerably," the researchers said.

Yet being trusted doesn't make you more trustworthy.

Every investment was then tripled, but the "trustees" had total control on how much they skimmed and how much they gave back to the "investors." Oxytocin or no oxytocin, rip-offs occurred equally frequently.

"Trustees given oxytocin do not show more trustworthy behaviour," the study found.

The researchers wanted to make sure oxytocin affects trust and not merely aversion to risk, so they ran another test in which they sat investors down at computers to make investments, and assigned returns randomly.

With trust and the human element taken out of the equation, both groups of investors behaved identically, and were far less willing to risk their money.

Commentators say that the study has implications for just about everyone who takes an interest in any human behaviour -- from love, to politics, to marketing and beyond.

"Some may worry about the prospect that political operators will generously spray the crowd with oxytocin at rallies of their candidates," said University of Iowa neurologist Antonio Damasio in a commentary in Nature.

"The scenario may be rather too close to reality for comfort, but those with such fear should note that current marketing techniques . . . may well exert their effects through the natural release of molecules such as oxytocin in response to well-crafted stimuli."

So two things here,
1) Orgasms can impair your judgement - no news there
and
2) Is this more proof that we're just a bag of blood and hormones that thinks we're doing the driving when in fact we're not. To show that <b>trust</b> can be chemically induced is pretty far reaching - in the future, just watch out for Nasal-Spray Salesmen!

Demeter · 06-02-2005, 07:36 PM

That's funny, because when I was given oxycotin when in labor with my first child, I didn't feel receptive. In fact I was pretty pissy.
I'd sure like to try it under different circumstances.

BTW, I can see this being a great gift for the bride or groom. lol.

soccerchamp76 · 06-02-2005, 10:28 PM

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Oxytocin -- not to be confused with Oxycontin, the increasingly popular painkiller gaining a reputation as "hillbilly heroin" -- has long been linked to sex, reproduction and motherhood

You were probably given oxycontin, a painkiller, during pregnancy, not oxytocin.

Astrocloud · 06-03-2005, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soccerchamp76

You were probably given oxycontin, a painkiller, during pregnancy, not oxytocin.

No there are other reasons people are given Oxytocin... One of which is to induce labor.

l looked into possibly getting this as a cologne but the life of oxytocin is about three minutes when exposed to air.

Charlatan · 06-03-2005, 05:36 AM

Oxytocin's brand name is Pitocin... women are given a Pit Drip to induce labour... I image it would make someone "pissy" as everything I've ever heard or read about induced labour is unpleasant.

Ustwo · 06-03-2005, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zen_tom

So two things here,
2) Is this more proof that we're just a bag of blood and hormones that thinks we're doing the driving when in fact we're not. To show that <b>trust</b> can be chemically induced is pretty far reaching - in the future, just watch out for Nasal-Spray Salesmen!

I think it depends. We are in control to some degree no matter what. Your logic side can take over when your physical side is pushing you another way. Some people are more slaves to their bodies than others, but there have been multiple times where my body said 'do this' and my brain made me do otherwise.

Stupid brain!

ObieX · 06-03-2005, 06:16 AM

So that's how Obi Wan did it! Medichlorians my ass!

Seriously tho, you gotta wonder who has already found out about this.

RoadRage · 06-03-2005, 12:32 PM

From The Register's take on it:

Quote:

That's to say, you might find yourself suddenly finding Tony Blair and George Bush strangely plausible, without realising that your entire neighbourhood has been dosed with Oxytocin deployed via aerosol from stealth black helicopters. You have been warned. ®

Zeraph · 06-03-2005, 12:46 PM

I wonder how that might combine with thiopental sodium (aka Sodium Pentothal, aka "truth serum") to make a real truth serum?

Thiopental sodium has some interesting effects including some protection from radiation. Heres a link http://www.psicologia.freeservers.co...o_verdade.html

Astrocloud · 06-03-2005, 12:58 PM

Given what I know about psychology -one could easily come up with a methodology for brainwashing using this. Just trick them into entering your hospital for treatment -then submit the Oxytocin via IV while they're watching one of our custom movies.

Once people are out of our hospital it would require just a little bit of conditioning on their part to get into the full swing of things -after all the whole 'justification effect' will come into play and people will brainwash themselves far better than any drug.

jaco · 06-03-2005, 02:17 PM

And we come a step closer to creating Soma...

MSD · 06-03-2005, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ustwo

I think it depends. We are in control to some degree no matter what. Your logic side can take over when your physical side is pushing you another way. Some people are more slaves to their bodies than others, but there have been multiple times where my body said 'do this' and my brain made me do otherwise.

Stupid brain!

I know the feeling. No matter how much I drink, I can't seem to lose my judgement and ability to determine who is and isn't attractive. A bunch of my smart friends and I have decided that the more intelligent you are, the easier it is to overcome the judgement impairment of alcohol (and to be able to walk in a straight line,) but that's obviously a biased conclusion.

PulpMind · 06-03-2005, 11:34 PM

flouride for the 21st Century! YESSSSSSSSS!

06-02-2005, 07:36 PM	#2 (permalink)
Demeter Psycho	That's funny, because when I was given oxycotin when in labor with my first child, I didn't feel receptive. In fact I was pretty pissy. I'd sure like to try it under different circumstances. BTW, I can see this being a great gift for the bride or groom. lol. __________________ I am not bound to please thee with my answers. William Shakespeare

06-03-2005, 05:36 AM	#5 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	Oxytocin's brand name is Pitocin... women are given a Pit Drip to induce labour... I image it would make someone "pissy" as everything I've ever heard or read about induced labour is unpleasant. __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

06-03-2005, 06:16 AM	#7 (permalink)
ObieX Pickles Location: Shirt and Pants (NJ)	So that's how Obi Wan did it! Medichlorians my ass! Seriously tho, you gotta wonder who has already found out about this. __________________ We Must Dissent.

06-03-2005, 02:17 PM	#11 (permalink)
jaco Crazy	And we come a step closer to creating Soma... __________________ "How soft your fields so green, Can whisper tales of gore" "Thou art god"

06-03-2005, 12:46 PM	#9 (permalink)
Zeraph Banned Location: The Cosmos	I wonder how that might combine with thiopental sodium (aka Sodium Pentothal, aka "truth serum") to make a real truth serum? Thiopental sodium has some interesting effects including some protection from radiation. Heres a link http://www.psicologia.freeservers.co...o_verdade.html

06-03-2005, 12:58 PM	#10 (permalink)
Astrocloud Apocalypse Nerd	Given what I know about psychology -one could easily come up with a methodology for brainwashing using this. Just trick them into entering your hospital for treatment -then submit the Oxytocin via IV while they're watching one of our custom movies. Once people are out of our hospital it would require just a little bit of conditioning on their part to get into the full swing of things -after all the whole 'justification effect' will come into play and people will brainwash themselves far better than any drug.

06-03-2005, 11:34 PM	#13 (permalink)
PulpMind Addict Location: Portland	flouride for the 21st Century! YESSSSSSSSS!