A nasal-spray puff of the so-called “love hormone” might improve your ability to interpret other people’s emotions.
In the study, researchers in Norway gave 40 students nasal spray containing either a control dose of saltwater or a dose of oxytocin, a brain hormone known to boost feelings of calm and social bonding. The students were then shown photos of faces with angry, happy or neutral expressions. Some of the faces had more subtle emotional expressions that are typically decoded at a more subconscious level, according to the Research Council of Norway, which funded the study.
by Megan Gannon,
