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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 49 · 2021

4 results

The role of oxytocin in delay of gratification and flexibility in non-social decision making.

Kapetaniou GE, Reinhard MA, Christian P, Jobst A, Tobler PN, Padberg F, Soutschek A

eLife6 Apr 2021Cited by 25 (Europe PMC)

PMID33821797 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC8024008 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.7554/elife.61844 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-33821797
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Summary

Oxytocin is well-known for its impact on social cognition. This specificity for the social domain, however, has been challenged by findings suggesting a domain-general allostatic function for oxytocin by promoting future-oriented and flexible behavior. In this pre-registered study, we tested the hypothesized domain-general function of oxytocin by assessing the impact of intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) on core aspects of human social (inequity aversion) and non-social decision making (delay of gratification and cognitive flexibility) in 49 healthy volunteers (within-subject design). In intertemporal choice, patience was higher under oxytocin than under placebo, although this difference was evident only when restricting the analysis to the first experimental session (between-group comparison) due to carry-over effects. Further, oxytocin increased cognitive flexibility in reversal learning as well as generosity under conditions of advantageous but not disadvantageous inequity. Our findings show that oxytocin affects both social and non-social decision making, supporting theoretical accounts of domain-general functions of oxytocin.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study4

4 results from studies that gave the peptide. 4 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy volunteers, intranasal oxytocin increased patience in intertemporal choice versus placebo, but only in the first experimental session.

    In plain wordsIn healthy volunteers, oxytocin spray made people more patient than placebo, but only in the first session.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreasePatience in intertemporal choice
    Study

    n = 49

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    In intertemporal choice, patience was higher under oxytocin than under placebo, although this difference was evident only when restricting the analysis to the first experimental session (between-group comparison) due to carry-over effects.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this pre-registered study, we tested the hypothesized domain-general function of oxytocin by assessing the impact of intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) on core aspects of human social (inequity aversion) and non-social decision making (delay of gratification and cognitive flexibility) in 49 healthy volunteers (within-subject design).
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy volunteers, intranasal oxytocin increased cognitive flexibility in reversal learning versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn healthy volunteers, oxytocin spray increased mental flexibility in a learning task compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseCognitive flexibility in reversal learning
    Study

    n = 49

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Further, oxytocin increased cognitive flexibility in reversal learning
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this pre-registered study, we tested the hypothesized domain-general function of oxytocin by assessing the impact of intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) on core aspects of human social (inequity aversion) and non-social decision making (delay of gratification and cognitive flexibility) in 49 healthy volunteers (within-subject design).
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy volunteers, intranasal oxytocin increased generosity under advantageous inequity versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn healthy volunteers, oxytocin spray increased generosity when the volunteer was better off, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseGenerosity under advantageous inequity
    Study

    n = 49

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    as well as generosity under conditions of advantageous but not disadvantageous inequity.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this pre-registered study, we tested the hypothesized domain-general function of oxytocin by assessing the impact of intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) on core aspects of human social (inequity aversion) and non-social decision making (delay of gratification and cognitive flexibility) in 49 healthy volunteers (within-subject design).
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy volunteers, intranasal oxytocin did not increase generosity under disadvantageous inequity versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn healthy volunteers, oxytocin spray did not change generosity when the volunteer was worse off, compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeGenerosity under disadvantageous inequity
    Study

    n = 49

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    24 IU · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    as well as generosity under conditions of advantageous but not disadvantageous inequity.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this pre-registered study, we tested the hypothesized domain-general function of oxytocin by assessing the impact of intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) on core aspects of human social (inequity aversion) and non-social decision making (delay of gratification and cognitive flexibility) in 49 healthy volunteers (within-subject design).

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, 00:50 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 02:48 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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