Oxytocin

Oxytocin is a hormone, and like pheromones, has a major part to play in some vital human behaviours like social recognition, pair bonding, anxiety, trust, love, maternal behaviour, and orgasm.

You can read what Wikipedia says about oxytocin here.

Susan Kuchinskas wrote Oxytocin: The Book, and created the very informative website hugthemonkey.com

Dr Adam Guastella at Sydney University has done extensive research into how Oxytocin changes our responses to others.

And researchers at Oregon State have found that how empathic people are may depend on their inherited oxytocin receptors.

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