New research highlights the possible chemical pathway through which individuals, who are in love, may not be vigilant about detecting a partner’s deceptive behavior.
In the study, some participants were given a dose of oxytocin, a powerful hormone that naturally increases when individuals fall in love and have a lot of affectionate and physical interaction.
People, who were exposed to oxytocin, were less accurate at judging others trustworthiness. From the study…
“Rather than improving subjects’ inferences about others’ mental states, oxytocin impeded accurate assessments of trustworthiness in risky social exchanges.”
Maybe oxytocin, which is often called the “love drug”, should come with the following warning label: “Too much kissing, cuddling, and sex can lead to higher levels of oxytocin, ultimately making you vulnerable to being duped by your lover.”
Source: Israel, S., Hart, E., & Winter, E. (2014). Oxytocin Decreases Accuracy in the Perception of Social Deception. Psychological Science,25(1), 293-295.
