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Study · Randomized controlled trial · 2012

2 results

The herding hormone: oxytocin stimulates in-group conformity.

Stallen M, De Dreu CK, Shalvi S, Smidts A, Sanfey AG

Psychological science18 Sept 2012Cited by 96 (Europe PMC)

PMID22991128 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1177/0956797612446026 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-22991128
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 participants rating unfamiliar stimuli, oxytocin made ratings conform to the in-group when in-group and out-group ratings were incongruent; placebo participants did not show this in-group bias.

    In plain wordsIn participants rating pictures, oxytocin made ratings follow their own group's ratings, which placebo did not.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseConformity to in-group ratings
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    on trials in which the ratings of the in-group and out-group were incongruent, the ratings of participants given oxytocin conformed to the ratings of their in-group but not of their out-group.
    3 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Participants given a placebo did not show this in-group bias.
    Summary · context
    After administration of either oxytocin or a placebo, participants were asked to provide attractiveness ratings of unfamiliar visual stimuli.
    Summary · context
    While viewing each stimulus, participants were shown ratings of that stimulus provided by both in-group and out-group members.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In participants rating unfamiliar stimuli, oxytocin did not make ratings conform to the out-group when in-group and out-group ratings were incongruent.

    In plain wordsIn participants rating pictures, oxytocin did not make ratings follow the other group's ratings.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeConformity to out-group ratings
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    on trials in which the ratings of the in-group and out-group were incongruent, the ratings of participants given oxytocin conformed to the ratings of their in-group but not of their out-group.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    After administration of either oxytocin or a placebo, participants were asked to provide attractiveness ratings of unfamiliar visual stimuli.
    Summary · context
    While viewing each stimulus, participants were shown ratings of that stimulus provided by both in-group and out-group members.

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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