Oxytocin increases the social salience of the outgroup in potential threat contexts

By: Egito J.H., Nevat M., Shamay-Tsoory S.G., Osório A.A.C.
Published in: Hormones and Behavior
SDGs : SDG 16  |  Units: Social Sciences  | Time: 2020 |  Link
Description: A growing body of literature suggests that OT administration may affect not only prosocial outcomes, but also regulate a dversarial responses in the context of intergroup relations. However, recent reports have challenged the view of a fixed role of OT in enhancing ingroup favoritism and outgroup derogation. Studying the potential effects of OT in modulating threat perception in a context characterized by racial miscegenation (Brazil) may thus afford additional clarification on the matter. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, White Brazilian participants completed a first-person shooter task to assess their responses towards potential threat from racial ingroup (White) or outgroup (Black) members. OT administration enhanced the social salience of the outgroup, by both increasing the rate at which participants refrained from shooting unarmed Black targets to levels similar to White targets, and by further increasing the rate of correct decisions to shoot armed Black targets (versus White armed targets). In summary, our results indicate that a single dose of OT may promote accurate behavioral responses to potential threat from members of a racial outgroup, thus offering support to the social salience hypothesis. © 2020 Elsevier Inc.