Contents:
- Medical Video: Homeless Becomes Millionaire After Giving His Last $20
- Experiments for creating drugs that make people more generous
- 1. Triggers the oxytocin hormone
- 2. Triggers the serotonin hormone
- 3. Triggers the dopamine hormone
- The role of hormones in human nature and behavior
- Could this drug be used to change human behavior?
Medical Video: Homeless Becomes Millionaire After Giving His Last $20
You probably already know about antidepressant drugs that can help someone feel better. People who have suffered from depression or anxiety can be more calm and eager to go through their days. Then, if there are drugs that can change a person's feelings and behavior, shouldn't there also be drugs that make people become more generous and happy to do good deeds for others?
This question seems to disturb neurologists and clinical psychology. Based on a number of recent studies, these experts have managed to find a drug that has the potential to make someone generous and caring for others. How can it be, huh? Consider the following review.
Experiments for creating drugs that make people more generous
To prove whether human traits and behavior can be biologically developed, experts conducted a number of experiments with different drugs. This is the result.
1. Triggers the oxytocin hormone
The first study in the Public Library of Science ONE journal (PLoS ONE) in 2007 revealed that participants injected with the oxytocin hormone trigger were 80% more generous than participants who were only given an empty injection aka placebo. This was shown when the two groups of participants were given some money to share with others.
2. Triggers the serotonin hormone
Another study in the journal Frontiers in Psychology in 2010 experimented with serotonin. Compared with study participants who were only given empty drugs, those who took supplements that triggered the serotonin hormone proved to be more generous when giving their money to charity to certain social organizations.
3. Triggers the dopamine hormone
If previous researchers tried the hormone oxytocin and serotonin, a team of experts in the journal Current Biology in 2015 tried to increase social awareness with the hormone dopamine. Participants are asked to determine the amount of money they will save themselves and which will be provided free of charge to other unknown people. Those who were given a dopamine-trigger supplement proved to be more generous than participants who only took empty medication.
The role of hormones in human nature and behavior
Helping others is indeed a commendable act in society. However, it turns out that humans also have a biological urge to help each other. This boost is regulated by hormones released in your body.
According to experts who conducted various experiments above, the production of the hormone oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine can provide stimulation to the brain to do good. Because, every time you do good, the brain that regulates the reward system (reward) will get its own satisfaction.
To simplify this concept, compare it with appetite. Your body knows that eating is important. This is why you have appetite. Appetite is regulated by hormones. If you lack appetite, you can take medicines that will manipulate hormones so you feel hungry.
The same is true of generous behavior. You know that doing good for others is important. So, drug supplements that can trigger certain hormones will arouse insistence on you to help others, like arousing appetite.
Could this drug be used to change human behavior?
Researchers still have to learn more about the use of hormone-triggering drugs in shaping human nature and behavior. Because, this drug will not work if you do not believe in helping others is a good thing.
