Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Leopoldstr. 13, 80802 München, Germany; Federal University of Administrative Sciences, Habersaathstr. 51, 10115 Berlin, Germany.
Biol Psychol. 2022 Jul;172:108377. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108377. Epub 2022 Jun 3.
Oxytocin (OT) is known for facilitating interpersonal interactions in favorable conditions. Humor, on the other hand, is an interpersonal phenomenon that reduces social distance. In this study, we investigated whether OT would increase laughing and smiling in a favorable environment. Therefore, participants were asked to view a brief video clip of a comedy television program in the presence of an ingroup member after administration of either OT or a placebo. Results demonstrated that participants in the OT condition exhibited more laughing and smiling behavior over the course of viewing the video compared to participants in the placebo condition. OT, however, neither affected self-reported affect nor perceived funniness of the clip. These findings indicate that OT, a hormone that can bolster attachment, also has the power to facilitate implicit social interactions by promoting visible and audible social signals, but does not affect the socially irrelevant inner cheerfulness.
催产素（OT）被认为可以促进有利条件下的人际互动。而幽默是一种可以减少社交距离的人际现象。在这项研究中，我们研究了 OT 是否会增加有利环境下的笑声和微笑。因此，在给予 OT 或安慰剂后，参与者被要求在同组成员在场的情况下观看一段喜剧电视节目的简短视频片段。结果表明，与安慰剂组相比，OT 组在观看视频的过程中表现出更多的笑声和微笑行为。然而，OT 既不影响自我报告的情绪，也不影响对片段的趣味性感知。这些发现表明，OT 作为一种可以增强依恋的激素，也具有通过促进可见和可听的社交信号来促进隐性社交互动的能力，但不会影响与社交无关的内在快乐。
