Choosing Right or Wrong: Simply a Matter of Hormones

Where does our sense of right and wrong come from? One researcher says it comes from the production of a specific hormone in our brain, called oxytocin. Could it be this hormone that gives you the urge to want to help someone begging on the street? Conversely, is it a lack of this hormone that causes the unfeeling actions of murderers like Ted Bundy?

Paul Zac, Ph.D., a professor and neuroeconomic researcher, recently completed a series of studies which determined that oxytocin is responsible for our innate feelings of right and wrong. Oxytocin is an interesting hormone to study because it is only produced in the brains of mammals. It has been commonly associated with a mother’s innate need to nurture and care for offspring. Many of it’s effects are still being studied, as well as the things that can help produce, or inhibit production, of this all-important hormone.

What can oxytocin do? It produces feelings of trust, empathy, and generosity. In general, it begins production when we come in close contact with another human being, whether it’s a pat on the back, hug, or even kiss. However, it can also be produced when we see another human being or creature who is in pain. Other factors that influence it’s production are high levels of stress, which can inhibit the level of oxytocin produced. While men do produce oxytocin, production level is inhibited by the stronger male hormone, testosterone. This may be why men are seen as less sensitive and caring than women. (Who knew it was a chemical thing!)

A few surprising things Dr. Zac found in his research is that 5 percent of the population doesn’t release oxytocin. These people who don’t produce oxytocin are the same people who seem to have no moral compass. They are generally seen as selfish, narcissistic, and even psychopathic, in an extreme case. If you aren’t nurtured properly, such as people who have been abused, then your brain may also stop creating oxytocin.

So what do you think? Is your ability to choose right and wrong influenced by how much of a certain chemical is produced in your brain? Whether you believe that it or not, everyone has to admit that there is something going on when they see a child in pain or empathize with the joy of a loved one. And just like any other emotional sense, you can dull the feeling of it by making it too common or ignoring it.

About the Author

Tiffani Azani is a freelance writer for MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers makes it easy to find accredited online colleges where students can get the education and training they need.