Ethics

Oxytocin and Envy

By Adam Kolber

MindHacks covers recent research suggesting that oxytocin may not only enhance positively-valenced emotions associated with trust, it may also enhance emotions like envy.  Some non-human animal research suggests it also enhances aggression.  So, the authors of a recent Scientific American article "conclude that, rather than being a something that promotes trust and bonding, oxytocin enhances all social emotions, including the good, the bad and the ugly."

See here for the MindHacks post, here for the SciAm article, and here for the abstract of the study on oxytocin and envy.

Full post as published by Neuroethics and Law on August 05, 2009 (boomark / email).