201. Hydrocortisone reduces altruistic punishment in healthy men.
- Author
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Strojny, Julia, von Dawans, Bernadette, Schächinger, Hartmut, and Domes, Gregor
- Subjects
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PUNISHMENT (Psychology) , *HYDROCORTISONE , *PUNISHMENT , *AT-risk behavior , *VALUE orientations - Abstract
Psychosocial stress modulates social cognition and behavior in humans. One potentially mediating factor is cortisol as part of the human endocrine stress response. With a double-blind, placebo-controlled between-subject study design, we tested possible dose-dependent effects of hydrocortisone (0 mg, 5 mg and 20 mg) in 85 healthy males. During a socio-economic decision-making task we measured trust, trustworthiness, sharing, punishment, and non-social risk behavior. Social value orientation (SVO) was also assessed. We observed significantly lower levels of punishment after hydrocortisone, especially in the 20 mg group. Drug-induced salivary cortisol correlated negatively with punishment behavior. None of the other facets of social behavior or the SVO were affected by hydrocortisone. Our results suggest that hydrocortisone reduces the propensity to punish unfair behavior. Future studies are needed to further disentangle the role played by various psychobiological mechanisms within the stress response as well as their complex interplay on social behavior and cognition. • Hydrocortisone led to dose dependent increases in salivary cortisol. • Hydrocortisone reduced altruistic punishment in healthy men. • Drug-induced salivary cortisol correlated negatively with punishment behavior. • Other aspects of social behavior and social value orientation were not influenced by hydrocortisone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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