According To Studies, The Hormone Oxytocin Can Increase Satisfaction And Empathy

Illustration of the function of the hormone oxytocin according to research (Pexels/Pavel Danilyuk)

YOGYAKARTA – Oxytocin is known as the 'love hormone' which is a neurochemical and according to studies is associated with social behavior and life satisfaction. According to studies, showing that greater levels of oxytocin is a response to the situation. This condition evokes an emotional response in older adults than in younger individuals.

The study was published in the journal Frontier in Behavioral Neuroscience, reports Medical News Today. These findings suggest that older people who tend to release more oxytocin respond to social situations with empathy. This response also further encourages the level of behavior to provide assistance and an increase in life satisfaction.

“The people who released the most oxytocin in the experiment were not only more generous to charity, but also engaged in many other helpful behaviors. This is the first time that a marked change in oxytocin has been associated with prosocial behavior in the past," said Dr. Paul Zak, study author and professor at Claremont Graduate University.

Illustration of the function of the hormone oxytocin according to research (Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio)

The hormone oxytocin is also responsible for uterine contractions during labor, breastfeeding, and reproductive behavior. In addition, brain oxytocin reduces anxiety and increases trust, cooperation, empathy, generosity, and social bonding.

The study's authors recruited 103 individuals between the ages of 18 and 99 years. Participants were divided into three groups: young (18 to 35 years), middle-aged (36 to 65 years old), or older adults (over 65 years). Participants were asked to watch a short emotional video of a father sharing his feelings about facing the imminent death of his two-year-old son with terminal brain cancer.

From blood samples from the participants before and after watching the video, the researchers measured the levels of oxytocin in them. Previous research has shown that changes in blood and brain oxytocin levels tend to be correlated, allowing researchers to estimate changes in brain oxytocin levels using blood samples.

The researchers found that older people showed greater increases in oxytocin levels after watching the video than younger people. People with greater oxytocin levels, or with older age, donated most of the prize money to charity. In addition, they also spent more time volunteering and donated more to charity in the previous year.

Consistent with other studies, the researchers found that older individuals were more likely to participate in religious activities and have a greater sense of satisfaction with life. Research has shown that older, more religious adults engage more in charity and volunteering and express greater life satisfaction.