An Examination of Changes in Oxytocin Levels in Men and Women Before and After Interaction with a Bonded Dog
An Examination of Changes in Oxytocin Levels in Men and Women Before and After Interaction with a Bonded Dog
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DOI：
10.2752/175303708x390455
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发表时间：
2009-03-01
期刊：
影响因子：
1.6
通讯作者：
Kogan, Lori
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Miller, Suzanne C.;Kennedy, Cathy;Kogan, Lori
催产素(OT)是一种神经肽，因其在结合、社交和缓解压力方面的作用而日益受到人们的认可。之前的研究表明，参与者在与狗互动或抚摸狗后，OT水平会增加，这表明OT至少是参与者在干预过程中体验到的平静、放松感觉的部分原因。我们研究的目的是更仔细地检测男性和女性在与自己的狗互动后，在全天工作时与狗分开时催产素水平的变化。将该条件与没有狗存在的阅读控制条件进行比较。由于工作场所是一种常见的压力源，参与者在下班后接受了检查，以评估与宠物互动如何有助于减轻压力，这一点从血清催产素水平的增加中得到了证明。十名男性和十名女性参与了这项研究。参与者在与他们的狗接触之前测量血清催产素水平，然后在与他们的狗互动25分钟后再次测量。对于阅读条件，参与者遵循了相同的方案，只是参与者阅读研究人员选择的非小说类材料，而不是与他们的狗互动。与阅读条件下的女性相比，与狗互动的女性的血清催产素水平上升更多(p=0.003)。与阅读条件相比，与绑定的狗互动后，男性的催产素水平没有显著增加；事实上，在狗和阅读条件下，男性的催产素水平都下降了。这些结果表明，男性和女性在与狗互动时可能会有不同的荷尔蒙反应。目前还不清楚激素、个性特征或人际关系在多大程度上影响了OT的反应性，这些因素值得进一步研究。
Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide increasingly recognized for its role in bonding, socialization, and stress relief. Previous research has demonstrated participants' OT levels increased after interacting with or petting a dog, suggesting OT is at least partially responsible for the calm, relaxing feeling that participants experienced during this intervention. The purpose of our study was to more closely examine changes in oxytocin levels in men and women in response to interaction with their own dog after being separated from the dog while at work all day. This condition was compared with a reading control condition, without the presence of the dog. Because the workplace is a common stressor, participants were examined after work to evaluate how interacting with a pet may help decrease stress, as evidenced by increases in serum oxytocin levels. Ten men and ten women participated in the study. Serum oxytocin levels were obtained before the participants had contact with their dogs and then again after 25 minutes of interaction with their dog. The same protocol was followed for the reading condition except that instead of interacting with their dog, participants read nonfiction materials selected by the researchers. Serum oxytocin levels increased statistically more for women who interacted with their dog when compared with women in the reading condition (p = 0.003). There was no significant increase in oxytocin level in men after interaction with the bonded dog compared with the reading condition; in fact, male oxytocin levels decreased after both the dog and reading conditions. These results suggest that men and women may have different hormonal responses to interaction with their dogs. It is unclear to what degree OT reactivity was affected by hormones, personality traits, or interpersonal relationships; factors which warrant further research.