"Trust Spray"

Trust Spray
By JOHN GLASSIE | The New York Times | December 11, 2005

The hormone oxcytocin, which plays a role in childbirth, breast-feeding, orgasm and feelings of love, is usually thought to have a happy set of responsibilities within the body. But a new study suggests that the hormone could be put to more sinister uses. According to a paper published in the June issue of Nature, a research team at the University of Zurich has determined that a nasal spray containing oxcytocin can be used to make human subjects more trusting.

In the study, 128 male participants played several rounds of a game borrowed from economic and social-behavior theory. The game essentially offers rewards to "investors" who are willing to temporarily entrust some or all of their money to anonymous "trustees." Almost half of the investors who took three puffs per nostril of the oxcytocin spray transferred all of their money to their unseen trustees, whereas only a quarter of those who inhaled a placebo went that far. "Oxcytocin doesn't make you nicer or more optimistic or more willing to gamble," says Michael Kosfeld, who headed the research team. "It causes a substantial increase in trusting behavior."

Kosfeld grudgingly allows that his team's research could one day be applied to exploit people. But for the time being, salesmen, politicians and Lotharios looking to increase their appearance of trustworthiness will have a hard time gaining much benefit from the new findings. "At this point you have to use the nasal spray," Kosfeld says, "so you really need the consent of the other person, which requires a certain degree of trust in the first place." Moreover, the effect lasts only a few minutes - hardly long enough to negotiate a contract for someone's soul.

These limitations notwithstanding, an Internet-based company, Vero Labs, has already been inspired by the Zurich study to create a body spray called Liquid Trust, supposedly containing oxcytocin. "Scientists have recently discovered a chemical that makes people trust each other," reads the company's promotional materials. "For the first time, you can have the world in the palm of your hands."