about Trust and Betrayal
I was badly betrayed in a work situation and so was intensely interested in Mauricio Delgado's fascinating article on the Scientific American website on the topic "when someone betrays us, how does the brain deal with it?"
The development of trust is an essential social tool, allowing people to form productive and meaningful relationships, both at a professional and personal level. Bonds of trust are also extremely fragile, however and a single act of betrayal—such as a marital affair—can instantly erase years of trustworthy behavior. The consequences of such breaches in confidence can be disastrous, and not only for a relationship. People who have been betrayed in the past will sometimes start avoiding future social interactions, which is a potential precursor to social phobia.
In light of these connections, recent research has attempted to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying trust behavior. This is the goal of an exciting new study by neuroscientist Thomas Baumgartner and colleagues at the University of Zurich in Germany that combines different disciplines (economics and neuroscience) and methodologies (neuroimaging and neuropharmacology) to investigate how the brain adapts to breaches of trust.
Apparently, oxytocin (a hormone recognized for its role in social attachment and facilitation of social interactions) facilitates trust behavior.
The study demonstrates how oxytocin can facilitate social interactions after trust has been violated, by potentially lowering defense mechanisms associated with social risks and by overcoming negative feedback that is important for adapting behavior in the future...Lower levels of oxytocin in some situations may certainly be adaptive, as a person will become more wary of possible harm. Higher levels of oxytocin, however, may also be necessary at times to allow an individual to “forgive and forget,” an imperative step in maintaining long-term relationships and mental well-being.
What is the end result of this? An "anti-betrayal" drug? I wonder if it's better to feel and process the betrayal - instead of looking for a "magic bullet" substance like oxytocin. I wonder if we manufacture oxytocin as we work on forgiving those who betrayed us. It would be interesting to know what happens to our oxytocin levels over time as we move beyond the betrayal.
The development of trust is an essential social tool, allowing people to form productive and meaningful relationships, both at a professional and personal level. Bonds of trust are also extremely fragile, however and a single act of betrayal—such as a marital affair—can instantly erase years of trustworthy behavior. The consequences of such breaches in confidence can be disastrous, and not only for a relationship. People who have been betrayed in the past will sometimes start avoiding future social interactions, which is a potential precursor to social phobia.
In light of these connections, recent research has attempted to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying trust behavior. This is the goal of an exciting new study by neuroscientist Thomas Baumgartner and colleagues at the University of Zurich in Germany that combines different disciplines (economics and neuroscience) and methodologies (neuroimaging and neuropharmacology) to investigate how the brain adapts to breaches of trust.
Apparently, oxytocin (a hormone recognized for its role in social attachment and facilitation of social interactions) facilitates trust behavior.
The study demonstrates how oxytocin can facilitate social interactions after trust has been violated, by potentially lowering defense mechanisms associated with social risks and by overcoming negative feedback that is important for adapting behavior in the future...Lower levels of oxytocin in some situations may certainly be adaptive, as a person will become more wary of possible harm. Higher levels of oxytocin, however, may also be necessary at times to allow an individual to “forgive and forget,” an imperative step in maintaining long-term relationships and mental well-being.
What is the end result of this? An "anti-betrayal" drug? I wonder if it's better to feel and process the betrayal - instead of looking for a "magic bullet" substance like oxytocin. I wonder if we manufacture oxytocin as we work on forgiving those who betrayed us. It would be interesting to know what happens to our oxytocin levels over time as we move beyond the betrayal.
posted by julieannerickson at 3:23 PM
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