Oxytocin modulates social distance between males and females.

Scheele D, Striepens N, Güntürkün O, Deutschländer S, Maier W, Kendrick KM, Hurlemann R

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience1 Nov 2012Cited by 168 (Europe PMC)

PMID23152592PMCIDPMC6794013DOI10.1523/jneurosci.2755-12.2012PepBankPUB-23152592

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Summary

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Text rights: CC BY-NC. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study5

5 results from studies that gave the peptide. 5 results from people.

01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In men in a monogamous relationship, intranasal oxytocin increased the distance they kept from an attractive woman at a first encounter compared with placebo.
In plain wordsIn men in a monogamous relationship, oxytocin nose spray made them stand farther from an attractive woman than placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseDistance kept from an attractive woman, men in a monogamous relationship
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
In this randomized placebo-controlled trial, we provide the first behavioral evidence that the intranasal administration of OXT stimulates men in a monogamous relationship, but not single ones, to keep a much greater distance (~10-15 cm) between themselves and an attractive woman during a first encounter.
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02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In single men, intranasal oxytocin did not change the distance kept from an attractive woman compared with placebo.
In plain wordsIn single men, oxytocin nose spray did not change how far they stood from an attractive woman compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
No significant changeDistance kept from an attractive woman, single men
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
In this randomized placebo-controlled trial, we provide the first behavioral evidence that the intranasal administration of OXT stimulates men in a monogamous relationship, but not single ones, to keep a much greater distance (~10-15 cm) between themselves and an attractive woman during a first encounter.
Report a problemFND-2315259202
03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In men in a monogamous relationship, the greater distance kept after intranasal oxytocin occurred with female but not male experimenters and was independent of gaze direction and of who was moving.
In plain wordsIn men in a monogamous relationship, oxytocin nose spray made them keep distance from women but not men, whatever the gaze or who moved.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
MixedAvoidance of proximity by experimenter sex and gaze
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
This avoidance of close personal proximity occurred in the physical presence of female but not male experimenters and was independent of gaze direction and whether the female experimenter or the subject was moving.
Report a problemFND-2315259203
04HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In men in a monogamous relationship only, intranasal oxytocin slowed approach to pictures of attractive women in a photograph-based approach/avoidance task.
In plain wordsOxytocin nose spray made men in a monogamous relationship, but not single men, slower to approach pictures of attractive women.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
DecreaseApproach speed to pictures of attractive women
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
We further confirmed this unexpected finding using a photograph-based approach/avoidance task that showed again that OXT only stimulated men in a monogamous relationship to approach pictures of attractive women more slowly.
Report a problemFND-2315259204
05HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
Intranasal oxytocin did not alter the attitude of monogamous men toward attractive women or their judgments of and arousal by pictures of them.
In plain wordsOxytocin nose spray did not change monogamous men's attitudes, judgments or arousal toward pictures of attractive women.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
No significant changeAttitude, judgments and arousal toward pictures of attractive women
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood
Studied dose
Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
Importantly, these changes cannot be attributed to OXT altering the attitude of monogamous men toward attractive women or their judgments of and arousal by pictures of them.
Report a problemFND-2315259205

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.

Version 2Current
11 Oct 2026, 01:30 UTC
Study results updated
Version 1
9 Oct 2026, 02:50 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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