Research project Effects of oxytocin on socioemotional aging: Studies on behavior, genetics and brain function
The effect of adult aging on social and emotional processes, as well as on related genetics and neurobiology, is still not fully understood. This project combines neuroendocrine, neuobiological and behavioral methods to investigate the effects of the neuropeptide oxytocin on social cognition and prosocial behavior as people age.
There is increasing evidence that oxytocin may play a significant role in the ability to read and remember social and emotional cues, and that it increases trust towards other people, socioemotional capacities that seem to undergo age-related changes. Close to nothing, however, is known about the oxytocin system in human aging.
In this research project we aim at clarify the extent to which experimentally elevated levels of oxytocin influence neural processing and behavior related to emotion identification, face memory, and trust-related decision making.
Outcomes of this project will have significant implications for the understanding of the effect of adult aging on socioemotional function.
Project members
Project managers
Håkan Fischer
Professor in Human biological psychology
Members
Natalie Ebner
Professor of Psychology
Petri Laukka
Professor
Tie-Qiang Li
Adjunct professor
Amirhossein Manzouri
Research Engineer
Lars Westberg
Professor
Shanshan Xiao
Guest researcher
