Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2009 Jun;1167:182-9.

Empathy toward strangers triggers oxytocin release and subsequent generosity.

Source

School of Organizational and Behavioral Studies and Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, Claremont Graduate University, 160 East 10th Street, Claremont, CA 91711, USA.

Abstract

Empathy is related to a variety of prosocial behaviors, but the brain mechanisms producing the experience of empathy have not been fully characterized. This study investigated whether the experience of empathy raises oxytocin levels and affects subsequent generosity toward strangers. Short video clips of an emotional scene and an unemotional scene were used as stimuli. Participants rated the emotions they experienced and then played a $40 ultimatum game to gauge their generosity. We found that empathy was associated with a 47% increase in oxytocin from baseline. We also found the empathy-oxytocin response was stronger in women than in men. Higher levels of empathy were also associated with more generous monetary offers toward strangers in the ultimatum game. Our findings provide the first evidence that oxytocin is a physiologic signature for empathy and that empathy mediates generosity.

PMID:: 19580564; [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

MeSH Terms, Substances

MeSH Terms

Substances

Oxytocin

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Supplemental Content

Save items

Related citations in PubMed

Oxytocin increases generosity in humans. [PLoS One. 2007]
Oxytocin increases generosity in humans.
Zak PJ, Stanton AA, Ahmadi S. PLoS One. 2007 Nov 7; 2(11):e1128. Epub 2007 Nov 7.
Effects of oxytocin and prosocial behavior on brain responses to direct and vicariously experienced pain. [Emotion. 2008]
Effects of oxytocin and prosocial behavior on brain responses to direct and vicariously experienced pain.
Singer T, Snozzi R, Bird G, Petrovic P, Silani G, Heinrichs M, Dolan RJ. Emotion. 2008 Dec; 8(6):781-91.
Testosterone administration decreases generosity in the ultimatum game. [PLoS One. 2009]
Testosterone administration decreases generosity in the ultimatum game.
Zak PJ, Kurzban R, Ahmadi S, Swerdloff RS, Park J, Efremidze L, Redwine K, Morgan K, Matzner W. PLoS One. 2009 Dec 16; 4(12):e8330. Epub 2009 Dec 16.
Review Prosocial effects of oxytocin and clinical evidence for its therapeutic potential. [Front Neuroendocrinol. 2011]
Review Prosocial effects of oxytocin and clinical evidence for its therapeutic potential.
Striepens N, Kendrick KM, Maier W, Hurlemann R. Front Neuroendocrinol. 2011 Oct; 32(4):426-50. Epub 2011 Jul 23.
Review [Oxytocin, a mediator of anti-stress, well-being, social interaction, growth and healing]. [Z Psychosom Med Psychother. 2005]
Review [Oxytocin, a mediator of anti-stress, well-being, social interaction, growth and healing].
Uvnas-Moberg K, Petersson M. Z Psychosom Med Psychother. 2005; 51(1):57-80.

See reviews... See all...

Cited by 7 PubMed Central articles

Oxytocin attenuates feelings of hostility depending on emotional context and individuals' characteristics. [Sci Rep. 2012]
Oxytocin attenuates feelings of hostility depending on emotional context and individuals' characteristics.
Hirosawa T, Kikuchi M, Higashida H, Okumura E, Ueno S, Shitamichi K, Yoshimura Y, Munesue T, Tsubokawa T, Haruta Y, et al. Sci Rep. 2012; 2:384. Epub 2012 Apr 26.
Thin-slicing study of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene and the evaluation and expression of the prosocial disposition. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011]
Thin-slicing study of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene and the evaluation and expression of the prosocial disposition.
Kogan A, Saslow LR, Impett EA, Oveis C, Keltner D, Rodrigues Saturn S. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Nov 29; 108(48):19189-92. Epub 2011 Nov 14.
Review Prosocial primates: selfish and unselfish motivations. [Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol...]
Review Prosocial primates: selfish and unselfish motivations.
de Waal FB, Suchak M. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2010 Sep 12; 365(1553):2711-22.

See all...

Related information

Related Citations
Calculated set of PubMed citations closely related to the selected article(s) retrieved using a word weight algorithm. Related articles are displayed in ranked order from most to least relevant, with the “linked from” citation displayed first.
Compound (MeSH Keyword)
PubChem chemical compound records that are classified under the same Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) controlled vocabulary as the current articles.
Substance (MeSH Keyword)
PubChem chemical substance (submitted) records that are classified under the same Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) controlled vocabulary as the current articles.
Cited in PMC
Full-text articles in the PubMed Central Database that cite the current articles.

Recent activity

Clear Turn Off Turn On

Empathy toward strangers triggers oxytocin release and subsequent generosity.
Empathy toward strangers triggers oxytocin release and subsequent generosity.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2009 Jun ;1167:182-9.

PubMed
Pup, a prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein, is an intrinsically disordered protei...
Pup, a prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein, is an intrinsically disordered protein.
Biochem J. 2009 Aug 13 ;422(2):207-15.

PubMed
Effects of 915 MHz electromagnetic-field radiation in TEM cell on the blood-brai...
Effects of 915 MHz electromagnetic-field radiation in TEM cell on the blood-brain barrier and neurons in the rat brain.
Radiat Res. 2009 Jul ;172(1):66-73.

PubMed
Salmonellosis outbreaks in the United States due to fresh produce: sources and p...
Salmonellosis outbreaks in the United States due to fresh produce: sources and potential intervention measures.
Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2009 Jul-Aug ;6(6):635-48.

PubMed
Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in fibrin augment angiogenesis in the...
Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in fibrin augment angiogenesis in the chronically infarcted myocardium.
Regen Med. 2009 Jul ;4(4):527-38.

PubMed

Your browsing activity is empty.

Activity recording is turned off.

Turn recording back on

PubMed

Result Filters

Display Settings:

Send to:

Empathy toward strangers triggers oxytocin release and subsequent generosity.

Source

Abstract

MeSH Terms, Substances

MeSH Terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Other Literature Sources

Medical

Molecular Biology Databases

Supplemental Content

Save items

Related citations in PubMed

Cited by 7 PubMed Central articles

Related information

Recent activity

Simple NCBI Directory

Getting Started

Resources

Popular

Featured

NCBI Information