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Nature Reviews Neuroscience 9, 500 (1 July 2008) | doi:10.1038/nrn2446

Trust in oxytocin

Welberg Leonie

The neuropeptide oxytocin is released during childbirth, suckling, touch and orgasm, suggesting that it might have a 'pro-social' function. This idea was strengthened by a recent study in Nature, which showed that an oxytocin nasal spray caused people playing a 'trust' game to retain their trust in a stranger who was looking after their money, even though this trust was violated on many occasions.