Benefits of social grooming: Hormone oxytocin facilitates cooperation
Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - 10:30
in Psychology & Sociology
Animals which maintain cooperative relationships show gains in longevity and offspring survival. However, little is known about the cognitive or hormonal mechanisms involved in cooperation. Researchers have now found that cooperative relationships are facilitated by an endocrinological mechanism involving the hormone oxytocin, even when these are between non-kin.