The psychobiological foundation of prosocial relationships: The role of oxytocin in daily social exchanges,

Caring compassion motivation leads to prosocial behaviors that may contribute to preventing and alleviating others' suffering. The instrumental support is one of the expressions of compassionate prosocial behavior. Compassionate behavior is characterized by a prosocial approach, which implies the ability to tune or synchronize with others while maintaining the self/other distinction. Compassionate behaviors rely on the understanding of other's emotions while maintaining self/other distinction and regulating personal distress – all aspects found to be modulated by oxytocin. This chapter focuses on the effects of oxytocin administration on these central components for experiencing compassion, and will consider the possible mediating role of individual traits on oxytocin reception. It highlights potential links and implications of oxytocin studies with regards to compassion. Several studies indicate that the neuropeptide oxytocin enhances the ability to detect other people's emotional expressions and recognize them accurately. Among the psychobiological systems involved in social bond formation and caring, the neuropeptide oxytocin plays a central role.