“Our bodies produce oxytocin, which is released during social interactions, like when we hug someone. It has a positive effect, making us feel more relaxed and open towards those around us.” This was precisely what Lasek wanted to delve deeper into during her master’s degree in Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience. Could administering oxytocin have therapeutic benefits? The data were already there: “Previous research has shown that the hormone increases the frequency and duration of eye contact between people.”
First look
Lasek took an innovative approach. She studied the effects of the hormone in men – who were given a dose of oxytocin via a nasal spray – while they viewed images of female celebrities. Some had visible cleavage, while others did not. Why did she decide to focus on men? “Exposed cleavage is more likely to be attractive to men than women. We wanted to see if oxytocin not only increased eye-gaze towards the eyes, but also increased attention towards sexual cues, such as the breasts.” Lasek used fifty different images, including pictures of Mila Kunis and Shakira.
Even though her thesis was awarded a rare perfect score of a 10, Lasek remains modest about her findings. “In the end, they weren’t groundbreaking. Oxytocin plays a role in social behaviour, but it’s not a ‘love potion’. We found no significant difference between the oxytocin group and the placebo group. In both groups, participants looked at the face first. Interestingly, however, eye contact was only stronger in the absence of a sexual stimulus. With cleavage, the ‘social effects’ of oxytocin disappeared.”
This suggests that oxytocin primarily increases social attention rather than sexual attraction. “Participants usually looked at the eyes, whether the celebrities had visible cleavage or not. First the eyes, then the rest of the face.”
Autism
Even if Lasek’s research wasn’t groundbreaking, “the hormone may still have therapeutic benefits for people with autism, who often struggle with making eye contact. Previous studies have already shown that oxytocin can help with this.” It remains uncertain whether administering the hormone truly had no effect on sexual attraction; it’s possible that some men simply didn’t want to admit where they looked first. “Sitting in a lab, in a controlled environment, isn’t the same as looking at someone in real life. Some participants may have deliberately avoided looking at the breasts.”
Lasek is now pursuing a PhD at the University of Amsterdam, researching mental health. She already has plans for the prize money: “I’m putting it towards furniture for my new room. Not very inspiring, but definitely useful.”