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Study · Randomized controlled trial · 2017

3 results

Oxytocin-enforced norm compliance reduces xenophobic outgroup rejection.

Marsh N, Scheele D, Feinstein JS, Gerhardt H, Strang S, Maier W, Hurlemann R

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America14 Aug 2017Cited by 32 (Europe PMC)

PMID28808030 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC5584433 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1073/pnas.1705853114 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-28808030
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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 study3

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

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In Caucasian participants scoring low on xenophobia, nasal oxytocin further increased the altruistic preference for donating to refugees.

    In plain wordsIn people with low xenophobia scores, oxytocin further raised their already higher giving to refugees.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseDonations to outgroup (refugees) in participants low in xenophobia
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · nasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Participants scoring low on xenophobic attitudes exhibited an altruistic preference for the outgroup, which further increased after nasal delivery of the neuropeptide oxytocin.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a series of experiments settled in the context of the current refugee crisis, we tested the propensity of 183 Caucasian participants to make donations to people in need, half of whom were refugees (outgroup) and half of whom were natives (ingroup).
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In participants with higher xenophobia, enhanced altruism toward the outgroup was generally absent, and it was countered only when oxytocin was paired with peer-derived altruistic norms.

    In plain wordsIn people with higher xenophobia scores, giving to refugees was generally not raised, and this was countered only when oxytocin was paired with peer norms.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeDonations to outgroup in participants with higher xenophobia
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · nasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    In contrast, participants with higher levels of xenophobia generally failed to exhibit enhanced altruism toward the outgroup. This tendency was only countered by pairing oxytocin with peer-derived altruistic norms, resulting in a 74% increase in refugee-directed donations.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a series of experiments settled in the context of the current refugee crisis, we tested the propensity of 183 Caucasian participants to make donations to people in need, half of whom were refugees (outgroup) and half of whom were natives (ingroup).
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In participants with higher xenophobia, pairing oxytocin with peer-derived altruistic norms resulted in a 74% increase in refugee-directed donations.

    In plain wordsIn people with higher xenophobia scores, oxytocin paired with peer norms raised donations to refugees by 74%.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseRefugee-directed donations, oxytocin paired with altruistic norms, higher xenophobia
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · nasalAs given in this study (human).

    Measurements

    Increase in refugee-directed donations
    74%
    oxytocin plus altruistic norms

    Source sentences

    Summary
    This tendency was only countered by pairing oxytocin with peer-derived altruistic norms, resulting in a 74% increase in refugee-directed donations.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In a series of experiments settled in the context of the current refugee crisis, we tested the propensity of 183 Caucasian participants to make donations to people in need, half of whom were refugees (outgroup) and half of whom were natives (ingroup).

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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