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Study · Systematic review · 2022

1 result

Moral judgment and hormones: A systematic literature review.

Freitas CCMC, Osório FL

PloS one6 Apr 2022Cited by 2 (Europe PMC)

PMID35385511 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC8985980 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1371/journal.pone.0265693 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-35385511
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Summary

This systematic review of the literature aims to evaluate possible associations between moral judgment and hormones. The electronic databases PsycINFO, PubMed, Scielo, Web of Science, Scopus, and LILACS were used. Twenty studies with different methodological designs were reviewed, covering the hormones cortisol, oxytocin, and testosterone, assessing aspects related to polymorphisms in receptor genes, endogenous levels, and exogenous administration. Taken together, the reviewed studies showed a trend towards an association between hormones and moral judgment, with important specificities involving biological, environmental, and individual aspects. Endogenous levels of cortisol, released under stress, showed negative associations with altruistic and utilitarian decisions only in highly emotionally charged dilemmas. Oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms (rs2268498, rs237889, and rs2254298) and acute administration of this hormone were associated with variability in moral judgment, with sex as an important moderating variable. Testosterone studies have tended to show a positive association with utilitarian moral judgments, particularly in female and in individuals with low prenatal exposure to this hormone. Knowing how hormones influence moral judgment may help expand our understanding of the plurality of human behavior. However, this area of research is new and still little explored, which does not allow for conclusions with a high level of evidence. Subsequent research will benefit from methodological improvements to extend current findings.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study1

1 result from studies that gave the peptide. 1 result from people.

  1. 01HumanSystematic reviewEfficacy outcome

    A systematic review reports that acute oxytocin administration was associated with variability in moral judgment, with sex as an important moderator.

    In plain wordsA review reports that giving oxytocin was linked to differences in moral judgment, and that sex mattered.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Direction not reportedMoral judgment after acute oxytocin administration
    Study

    n: not reported in source

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

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms (rs2268498, rs237889, and rs2254298) and acute administration of this hormone were associated with variability in moral judgment, with sex as an important moderating variable.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    The electronic databases PsycINFO, PubMed, Scielo, Web of Science, Scopus, and LILACS were used.

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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