Lying in the interest of a group, such as protecting fellow students in conflict, is a reaction motivated by oxytocin, according to a recent study.
Oxytocin, hormone of love… and lies. According to a study, published on March 4 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), this hormone would encourage lying in the interest of the greatest number.
Students who lie to protect their comrades, families who distort reality to protect one of the members… These “dishonest” reactions could be explained in one word: oxytocin. This hormone is involved in sexual reproduction, but also participates in the creation of emotional bonds. It would thus be at the origin of social recognition or the creation of links between mother and baby. According to this study, carried out by the universities of Amsterdam (the Netherlands) and Ben-Gurion of the Negev (Israel), this neuropeptide also encourages lying, especially when the well-being of the group is at stake.
Lie for the gains, not the losses
To reach these conclusions, the researchers followed 60 volunteer participants, separated into two groups. Some inhaled oxytocin, others a placebo. All participated in a coin toss game, with financial stakes. If the participants’ predictions were correct, the group won money. The volunteers themselves noted the results of the game. Those in the oxytocin group lied or cheated more than the others under these conditions. But not all causes are good for this hormone: when losses were involved, or if the gains only benefited individuals, it surprisingly had no effect. “The effects of treatment emerged when lying had financial consequences and money could be earned. When losses were involved, individuals taking placebo or oxytocin lied in the same proportions, ”note the researchers.
The collective lie is therefore not only social, this study teaches us: it is the organism itself that motivates some of these decisions. “To protect and nurture the well-being of others, humans tend to distort the truth,” the study’s authors explain. “Here we relate these trends to oxytocin, a neuropeptide known to fuel affiliation and cooperation with others. And these group mechanics can be varied: “People are willing to bend ethical rules to help their loved ones, like a team or their family,” says Dr Shaul Shalvi. In the absence of moral justification, this study will provide at least one explanation.
.