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Oxytocin drives prosocial biases in favor of attractive people

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 March 2017

René Hurlemann ,
Dirk Scheele ,
Wolfgang Maier  and
Johannes Schultz
René Hurlemann
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germanyrenehurlemann@icloud.comWolfgang.Maier@ukb.uni-bonn.dehttp://renehurlemann.squarespace.com/welcome/http://psychiatrie.uni-bonn.de/ Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, GermanyDirk-Scheele@gmx.dejohannes.schultz@gmail.comhttp://sites.google.com/site/johannesschultz/ German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53175 Bonn, Germany.
Dirk Scheele
Affiliation:
Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, GermanyDirk-Scheele@gmx.dejohannes.schultz@gmail.comhttp://sites.google.com/site/johannesschultz/
Wolfgang Maier
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germanyrenehurlemann@icloud.comWolfgang.Maier@ukb.uni-bonn.dehttp://renehurlemann.squarespace.com/welcome/http://psychiatrie.uni-bonn.de/ German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53175 Bonn, Germany.
Johannes Schultz
Affiliation:
Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, GermanyDirk-Scheele@gmx.dejohannes.schultz@gmail.comhttp://sites.google.com/site/johannesschultz/
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Abstract

Current perspectives on attractiveness-related prosocial biases emphasize the contribution of evolutionarily shaped mating drives. Here, we extend these concepts by highlighting the pivotal role of the hypothalamic peptide oxytocin in augmenting the salience and rewarding value of social stimuli, including the partner's face, thereby fostering social bonding in general and the stability of monogamous pair bonds and offspring care in particular.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 40 , 2017 , e30
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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