Oxytocin

Oxytocin

Oxytocin: the Molecule of Love, Trust, Morality, and Sociality?

Neuroscientists express cautious enthusiasm about oxytocin’s potential applications, but also warn of misperceptions brought on by oversimplified reporting.

Oxytocin

Q&A with Paul Zak, Ph.D.

The Power of Storytelling and the Brain

On the heels of Paul Zak’s The Moral Molecule—the popular book that put a brain chemical called oxytocin on the map—comes a new area of interest: how oxytocin, triggered by inspirational storytelling, affects behavior.

Oxytocin

Why Inspiring Stories Make Us React: The Neuroscience of Narrative

The man behind the discovery of the behavioral effect of a neurochemical in the brain called oxytocin wondered if the molecule might motivate people to engage in cooperative behaviors. In a series of tests using videos, his lab discovered that compelling narratives cause oxytocin release and have the power to affect our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.