ArticleScientific reports2016
Oxytocin improves synchronisation in leader-follower interaction.
Article in Scientific reports, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 65 citations in OpenAlex.
- The benefit of rhythm-based interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis with random controlled trials.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- Automatic Imitation in Comorbid PTSD & Alcohol Use Disorder and Controls: an RCT of Intranasal Oxytocin.Psychoneuroendocrinology · 2020Trial
- Empathic perspective taking promotes interpersonal coordination through music.Scientific reports · 2019Trial
- The association pathway between music practice and mental health: a study on social connectedness, perceived stress, and anxiety among individuals with piano experience.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Neurophysiological mechanisms of embodied empathy in martial arts.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Allied male dolphins use synchronous displays to strengthen social bonds in a cooperative context.Movement ecology · 2025Article
- Oxytocin, Vasopressin and Stress: A Hormetic Perspective.Current issues in molecular biology · 2025Review
- In sync with oneself: spontaneous intrapersonal coordination and the effect of cognitive load.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2025Article
- Tapping into the vocal learning and rhythmic synchronization hypothesis.BMC neuroscience · 2024Article
- Love songs and serenades: a theoretical review of music and romantic relationships.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- Why art? The role of arts in arts and health.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Article
- Testosterone, oxytocin and co-operation: A hypothesis for the origin and function of music.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Article
- A neurobiological perspective on social influence: Serotonin and social adaptation.Journal of neurochemistry · 2022Review
- Oxytocin has 'tend-and-defend' functionality in group conflict across social vertebrates.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2022Review
- The Groove Enhancement Machine (GEM): A Multi-Person Adaptive Metronome to Manipulate Sensorimotor Synchronization and Subjective Enjoyment.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2022Article
- A metastable attractor model of self-other integration (MEAMSO) in rhythmic synchronization.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2021Article
- The Potential Role of Dopamine in Mediating Motor Function and Interpersonal Synchrony.Biomedicines · 2021Review
- Transient brain networks underlying interpersonal strategies during synchronized action.Social cognitive and affective neuroscience · 2021Article
- A syncing feeling: reductions in physiological arousal in response to observed social synchrony.Social cognitive and affective neuroscience · 2021Article
- Dual brain stimulation enhances interpersonal learning through spontaneous movement synchrony.Social cognitive and affective neuroscience · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin has been shown to affect social interaction. Meanwhile, the underlying mechanism remains highly debated. Using an interpersonal finger-tapping paradigm, we investigated whether oxytocin affects the ability to synchronise with and adapt to the behaviour of others. Dyads received either oxytocin or a non-active placebo, intranasally. We show that in conditions where one dyad-member was tapping to another unresponsive dyad-member - i.e. one was following another who was leading/self-pacing - dyads given oxytocin were more synchronised than dyads given placebo. However, there was no effect when following a regular metronome or when both tappers were mutually adapting to each other. Furthermore, relative to their self-paced tapping partners, oxytocin followers were less variable than placebo followers. Our data suggests that oxytocin improves synchronisation to an unresponsive partner's behaviour through a reduction in tapping-variability. Hence, oxytocin may facilitate social interaction by enhancing sensorimotor predictions supporting interpersonal synchronisation. The study thus provides novel perspectives on how neurobiological processes relate to socio-psychological behaviour and contributes to the growing evidence that synchronisation and prediction are central to social cognition.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.