Oxytocin is a hormone released when people bond. Because of this, it is sometimes prescribed to people with autism and schizophrenia to help ameliorate their lack of social success. However, studies have shown that this could have a serious drawback; oxytocin generates oversensitivity to others' emotions. For example, if a teacher were to scowl because she's having a bad day, a student taking oxtocin supplements could misinterpret their look as a sign of disapproval of their work.
I found this intriguing because when I have felt socially successful or have strong feelings for someone, I tend to be much more aware and attentive to facial expressions. I think this is because when people feel more connected to their peers, they feel that they have more to lose. Therefore, they fear losing that social acceptance and tend to overanalyze.
Work Cited
Concordia University. (2014, January 22). 'Love hormone' oxytocin carries unexpected side effect. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 5, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140122112626.htm
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