‘Love Hormone’ Affects Men & Women Differently, Researchers Say

Sharon Moore August 02, 2013

Oxytocin, known as the ‘love hormone’, is known to promote feelings of love, social bonding and well-being. But does it work similar ways in men and women? The answer may be a ‘NO’, according to new research.

University of Haifa researchers found that oxytocin works differently in men and women in social contexts. The said hormone helps men identify competitive relationships whereas in women, it facilitates the ability to identify kinship. According to study author Simone Shamay-Tsoory, Ph.D., their findings agree with previous studies showing that women tend to be more communal and familial in their behaviour, whereas men are more inclined to be competitive and striving to improve their social status.

The Study

62 men and women between the age of 23 and 37 participated in the study. Half of the participants received an intranasal dose of oxytocin whilst the other half received a placebo. After a week, the groups switched. Then, they were presented with video clips showing various social interactions.

The participants were asked to analyse the relationships presented in the clips by answering questions that put emphasis on kinship, intimacy and competition. They were instructed to base their answers from the facial expressions, gestures and body languages portrayed by the individuals in the video clips.

The results showed that in general, oxytocin improved the participants’ ability to interpret social interactions. But specifically, the love hormone appeared to boost men’s ability to interpret competitive relationships whilst it enhanced women’s ability to correctly identify kinship.

A more surprising finding was that the love hormone didn’t appear to help the participants better identify intimate situations. According to the researchers, since this specific skill was substantially low among all the individuals who participated in the study, there is evidence that identifying an intimate relationship between two people is truly a complicated process.

Shamay-Tsoory said their findings coincide with the theory that social-behavioural differences between men and women are caused by a combination of cultural as well as biological factors that are mainly hormonal.

Oxytocin – a Powerful Hormone

Our oxytocin levels goes up when we hug or kiss a loved one. It also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain, playing a big role in pair bonding. In fact, scientific discoveries show that prairie voles – one of the most monogamous animals on earth, produce oxytocin in spades. This hormone is also highly stimulated during sex, breast feeding, and other positive social interactions.

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Effects of ‘Love Hormone’ Differ Between Genders