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Study · Non-randomized trial · n = 77 · 2021

5 results

Oxytocin increases perceived competence and social-emotional engagement with brands.

Barraza JA, Hu X, Terris ET, Wang C, Zak PJ

PloS one30 Nov 2021Cited by 4 (Europe PMC)

PMID34847200 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC8631632 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1371/journal.pone.0260589 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-34847200
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Summary

Humans express loyalty to consumer brands much like they do in human relationships. The neuroactive chemical oxytocin is an important biological substrate of human attachment and this study tested whether consumer-brand relationships can be influenced by oxytocin administration. We present a mathematical model of brand attachment that generates empirically-testable hypotheses. The model is tested by administering synthetic oxytocin or placebo to male and female participants (N = 77) who received information about brands and had an opportunity to purchase branded products. We focused on two brand personality dimensions: warmth and competence. Oxytocin increased perceptions of brand competence but not brand warmth relative to placebo. We also found that participants were willing to pay more for branded products through its effect on brand competence. When writing about one's favorite brands, oxytocin enhanced the use of positive emotional language as well as words related to family and friends. These findings provide preliminary evidence that consumers build relationships with brands using the biological mechanisms that evolved to form human attachments.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study5

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

  1. 01HumanNon-randomized trialEfficacy outcome

    In participants, synthetic oxytocin increased perceptions of brand competence relative to placebo.

    In plain wordsIn people, oxytocin made brands seem more competent than placebo did.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreasePerceived brand competence
    Study

    n = 77

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Oxytocin increased perceptions of brand competence but not brand warmth relative to placebo.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    The model is tested by administering synthetic oxytocin or placebo to male and female participants (N = 77) who received information about brands and had an opportunity to purchase branded products.
  2. 02HumanNon-randomized trialEfficacy outcome

    In participants, synthetic oxytocin did not change perceptions of brand warmth relative to placebo.

    In plain wordsIn people, oxytocin did not change how warm brands seemed compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changePerceived brand warmth
    Study

    n = 77

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Oxytocin increased perceptions of brand competence but not brand warmth relative to placebo.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    The model is tested by administering synthetic oxytocin or placebo to male and female participants (N = 77) who received information about brands and had an opportunity to purchase branded products.
  3. 03HumanNon-randomized trialEfficacy outcome

    In participants, oxytocin increased willingness to pay more for branded products through its effect on brand competence.

    In plain wordsIn people, oxytocin was linked to willingness to pay more for branded products, through brands seeming more competent.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseWillingness to pay for branded products
    Study

    n = 77

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    We also found that participants were willing to pay more for branded products through its effect on brand competence.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    The model is tested by administering synthetic oxytocin or placebo to male and female participants (N = 77) who received information about brands and had an opportunity to purchase branded products.
  4. 04HumanNon-randomized trialEfficacy outcome

    In participants writing about favorite brands, oxytocin enhanced the use of positive emotional language.

    In plain wordsIn people writing about favorite brands, oxytocin led to more positive emotional words.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreasePositive emotional language when writing about favorite brands
    Study

    n = 77

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    oxytocin enhanced the use of positive emotional language as well as words related to family and friends.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    The model is tested by administering synthetic oxytocin or placebo to male and female participants (N = 77) who received information about brands and had an opportunity to purchase branded products.
  5. 05HumanNon-randomized trialEfficacy outcome

    In participants writing about favorite brands, oxytocin enhanced the use of words related to family and friends.

    In plain wordsIn people writing about favorite brands, oxytocin led to more words about family and friends.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseFamily and friend words when writing about favorite brands
    Study

    n = 77

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    oxytocin enhanced the use of positive emotional language as well as words related to family and friends.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    The model is tested by administering synthetic oxytocin or placebo to male and female participants (N = 77) who received information about brands and had an opportunity to purchase branded products.

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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