# Old oxytocin studies fr. unextracted plasma: invalid?

**URL:** <https://pheromonetalk.com/t/old-oxytocin-studies-fr-unextracted-plasma-invalid/63636>\
**Category:** Studies & Abstracts\
**Created:** [January 10, 2015, 10:13pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/old-oxytocin-studies-fr-unextracted-plasma-invalid/63636 "2015-01-10T22:13:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![vanadium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c4cdca/32.png) [@vanadium](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/vanadium)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 10:13pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/old-oxytocin-studies-fr-unextracted-plasma-invalid/63636/1 "2015-01-10T22:13:35Z")

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“[Lack of Association between Human Plasma Oxytocin and Interpersonal Trust in a Prisoner’s Dilemma Paradigm](http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0116172)” James C. Christensen, Pavel A. Shiyanov, Justin R. Estepp, John J. Schlager. PLOS One, December 30, 2014; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116172

The actual focus of the USAF study is the relation between actions in the classic Prisoner’s Dilemma problem (e.g.: Do higher oxytocin levels promote cooperation/trust? Do cooperative/trusting behaviors increase oxytocin?), but I was more taken with the discussion of methodology and findings that could be very important when weighing the methods/validity of older studies.

[This lay blog entry does a good job](http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/neuroskeptic/2015/01/10/oxytocin-two-new-reasons-skepticism/) of explaining some of the key points and also links related studies.