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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 44 · 2011

2 results

Effects of intranasal oxytocin on 'compassion focused imagery'.

Rockliff H, Karl A, McEwan K, Gilbert J, Matos M, Gilbert P

Emotion (Washington, D.C.)27 Jun 2011Cited by 82 (Europe PMC)

PMID21707149 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1037/a0023861 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-21707149
Publisher pagePubMedAsk about this study
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Summary

The text of this summary is not shown here, because the article license does not allow reuse. Read it at the source (opens in a new tab)

Text rights: Publisher copyright. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study2

2 results from studies that gave the peptide. 2 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy adults, intranasal oxytocin increased the ease of imagining compassionate qualities during compassion focused imagery versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn healthy adults, nasal oxytocin made it easier to imagine compassionate qualities than placebo did.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseEase of imagining compassionate qualities
    Study

    n = 44

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Overall, oxytocin increased the ease of imagining compassionate qualities but there were important individual differences in how CFI was experienced.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Forty-four healthy participants (29 men and 15 women) completed self-report measures of self-criticism, attachment style, and social safeness before taking part in a double-blind randomized placebo controlled study.
    Summary · context
    They attended two imagery sessions, receiving oxytocin in one and a placebo in the other.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy adults higher in self-criticism and lower in self-reassurance, social safeness and attachment security, intranasal oxytocin gave less positive experiences of imagery than placebo.

    In plain wordsIn healthy adults who were self-critical or less securely attached, nasal oxytocin led to less positive imagery experiences than placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreasePositive experience of compassion focused imagery in people high in self-criticism or low in attachment security
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Participants higher in self-criticism, lower in self-reassurance, social safeness, and attachment security had less positive experiences of CFI under oxytocin than placebo, indicating that the effects of oxytocin on affiliation may depend on attachment and self-evaluative styles.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Forty-four healthy participants (29 men and 15 women) completed self-report measures of self-criticism, attachment style, and social safeness before taking part in a double-blind randomized placebo controlled study.
    Summary · context
    They attended two imagery sessions, receiving oxytocin in one and a placebo in the other.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 2Current

    11 Oct 2026, 01:30 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 02:49 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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