A human tendency to anthropomorphize is enhanced by oxytocin.

Scheele D, Schwering C, Elison JT, Spunt R, Maier W, Hurlemann R

European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology6 Jun 2015Cited by 27 (Europe PMC)

PMID26092202DOI10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.05.009PepBankPUB-26092202

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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 study4

3 results from studies that gave the peptide. 3 results from people.

01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In healthy women, a single intranasal oxytocin dose of 24 IU increased anthropomorphic descriptions specifically for social stimuli compared with placebo.
In plain wordsIn healthy women, one dose of oxytocin increased human-like descriptions of social shapes compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseAnthropomorphic descriptions of social stimuli
Study
n = 60
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
24 IU · intranasal · single doseAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
While intranasal OXT had no modulatory effect on arousal ratings and did not make the participants more talkative, the treatment boosted anthropomorphic descriptions specifically for social stimuli.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In the present study involving 60 healthy female participants, we measured salivary OXT concentrations and explored the effect of a single intranasal dose of synthetic OXT (24 IU) or placebo (PLC) on anthropomorphic tendencies during participants׳ verbal descriptions of short video clips depicting s…
Report a problemFND-2609220202
02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In healthy women, intranasal oxytocin had no modulatory effect on arousal ratings compared with placebo.
In plain wordsIn healthy women, oxytocin did not change arousal ratings compared with placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
No significant changeArousal ratings
Study
n = 60
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
24 IU · intranasal · single doseAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
While intranasal OXT had no modulatory effect on arousal ratings and did not make the participants more talkative, the treatment boosted anthropomorphic descriptions specifically for social stimuli.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In the present study involving 60 healthy female participants, we measured salivary OXT concentrations and explored the effect of a single intranasal dose of synthetic OXT (24 IU) or placebo (PLC) on anthropomorphic tendencies during participants׳ verbal descriptions of short video clips depicting s…
Report a problemFND-2609220203
03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In healthy women, intranasal oxytocin did not make participants more talkative compared with placebo.
In plain wordsIn healthy women, oxytocin did not make people more talkative than placebo.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
No significant changeTalkativeness in video descriptions
Study
n = 60
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
24 IU · intranasal · single doseAs given in this study (human).
Source sentences
Summary
While intranasal OXT had no modulatory effect on arousal ratings and did not make the participants more talkative, the treatment boosted anthropomorphic descriptions specifically for social stimuli.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In the present study involving 60 healthy female participants, we measured salivary OXT concentrations and explored the effect of a single intranasal dose of synthetic OXT (24 IU) or placebo (PLC) on anthropomorphic tendencies during participants׳ verbal descriptions of short video clips depicting s…
Report a problemFND-2609220204

Natural levels measured1

These results measure the body's own peptide. Nobody was given the peptide. They are not evidence about taking it. They are left out of key results, evidence counts and charts.

04HumanEndogenous levelObservational studyOther
In healthy women, higher baseline endogenous salivary oxytocin concentrations correlated positively with attribution of animacy to social stimuli.
In plain wordsIn healthy women, higher natural oxytocin levels in saliva were linked to describing social shapes as more alive.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseBaseline salivary oxytocin and attribution of animacy to social stimuli
Study
n = 60
Outcome group
Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
Source sentences
Summary
Our results show that endogenous OXT concentrations at baseline positively correlated with the attribution of animacy to social stimuli.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In the present study involving 60 healthy female participants, we measured salivary OXT concentrations and explored the effect of a single intranasal dose of synthetic OXT (24 IU) or placebo (PLC) on anthropomorphic tendencies during participants׳ verbal descriptions of short video clips depicting s…
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-2609220201

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, 02:49 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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