Effects of Hormones on Human Behavior The Endocrine System consists of a set of glands that regulate activity of certain organs by releasing their chemical products into the bloodstream. Glands, a group of cells that secrete substances in the human body, are organs or tissues that produce chemicals (Taylor, 2015). The chemicals produced are hormones that control bodily functions. Human hormone levels transition over time, which affect behavior regarding psychology and physiology. John Crane says there is no single definition of psychology, but is commonly known as the scientific study of mental processes and behavior and how they are affected by internal processes and the environment (Crane, 2009). The following paper will explore the ways
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To clarify, oxytocin in the blood is a hormone and in the brain it is a neurotransmitter. Oxytocin deals with memory, stress, and blood pressure (Herbein, 2013). It is also known as the “love hormone” and is found to increase levels of trust and generosity, supported by Baumgartner’s (2008) experimental study. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of oxytocin on trust. Trust is a necessity in building social relationships and have a large impact on both social behavior and mental health (Delgado, 2008). 49 participants either received a nasal spray of oxytocin or the placebo. According to Foley (1992) the placebo is a treatment that looks very similar, if not identical, to the regular treatment, but is not. The participants were asked to involve themselves in a trust game involving humans, and a risk game with a computer. In the trust game, player one must decide if they want to keep or share with a trustee, a sum of money. If player one shares the money with player two, the amount of money is tripled. Player two must then decide if they will split the money with player one or keep the entire sum. The trust is tested between player one and two through player two’s decision to keep or share the money. The participants were told their trust had been violated, then had to decide whether they wanted to trust that person again. The risk game is similar, but …show more content…
The adrenal gland is located right above the kidneys (Andrews, 2009). Cortisol is a hormone responsible for arousal and memory, coinciding with the hippocampus. The hippocampus correlates with memory and spatial navigation which forms part of limbic system (Mandal, 2010). High levels of cortisol is directly associated with the memory supported in Dr. John Newcomer’s double blind Washington University Study in 1999. Newcomer investigated how different levels of cortisol relate with verbal declarative memory by exploring 51 healthy participants separated into three groups. The three groups were given different levels of cortisol for four consecutive days. Group one received 160 milligrams per day, group two received 40 milligrams per day, and the third group received 0 milligrams per day, being the control group. Cognitive testing and plasma sampling was done after day one, four, and six days after given the first dose of cortisol. Newcomer found the group given 160 milligrams performed worse in the verbal declarative memory without effects on nonverbal memory, sustained or selective attention or executive function. Time and the treatment condition changed greatly between day one and four, supporting the idea that high level of cortisol levels do affect declarative memory. Cortisol accelerates the breakdown of protein into amino acids that move out of the tissues into the blood, where they changed
To clarify, oxytocin in the blood is a hormone and in the brain it is a neurotransmitter. Oxytocin deals with memory, stress, and blood pressure (Herbein, 2013). It is also known as the “love hormone” and is found to increase levels of trust and generosity, supported by Baumgartner’s (2008) experimental study. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of oxytocin on trust. Trust is a necessity in building social relationships and have a large impact on both social behavior and mental health (Delgado, 2008). 49 participants either received a nasal spray of oxytocin or the placebo. According to Foley (1992) the placebo is a treatment that looks very similar, if not identical, to the regular treatment, but is not. The participants were asked to involve themselves in a trust game involving humans, and a risk game with a computer. In the trust game, player one must decide if they want to keep or share with a trustee, a sum of money. If player one shares the money with player two, the amount of money is tripled. Player two must then decide if they will split the money with player one or keep the entire sum. The trust is tested between player one and two through player two’s decision to keep or share the money. The participants were told their trust had been violated, then had to decide whether they wanted to trust that person again. The risk game is similar, but …show more content…
The adrenal gland is located right above the kidneys (Andrews, 2009). Cortisol is a hormone responsible for arousal and memory, coinciding with the hippocampus. The hippocampus correlates with memory and spatial navigation which forms part of limbic system (Mandal, 2010). High levels of cortisol is directly associated with the memory supported in Dr. John Newcomer’s double blind Washington University Study in 1999. Newcomer investigated how different levels of cortisol relate with verbal declarative memory by exploring 51 healthy participants separated into three groups. The three groups were given different levels of cortisol for four consecutive days. Group one received 160 milligrams per day, group two received 40 milligrams per day, and the third group received 0 milligrams per day, being the control group. Cognitive testing and plasma sampling was done after day one, four, and six days after given the first dose of cortisol. Newcomer found the group given 160 milligrams performed worse in the verbal declarative memory without effects on nonverbal memory, sustained or selective attention or executive function. Time and the treatment condition changed greatly between day one and four, supporting the idea that high level of cortisol levels do affect declarative memory. Cortisol accelerates the breakdown of protein into amino acids that move out of the tissues into the blood, where they changed