Oxytocin Reading Answers

Feb 7, 2023

Oxytocin Reading Answers is an academic reading topic discussing in detail about the research related to oxytocin. The given IELTS topic has originated from the book named “Cambridge IELTS 10 Student's Book with Answers”. The topic named Oxytocin Reading Answers has a total of 13 wide range of questions included. The topic consists of two types of questions, which are, choose the correct letter, and complete the following sentences. The candidates should thoroughly read the IELTS reading passage to recognize the synonyms and identify the keywords and answer the questions below. IELTS reading practice papers can be taken into consideration by the candidates in order to score a good score in the reading section in which similar topics like Oxytocin Reading Answers has been included.

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Section 1

Read the passage to answer the following questions

Oxytocin Reading Answers

The positive and negative effects of the chemical known as the ‘love hormone’

Oxytocin is a chemical, a hormone produced in the pituitary gland in the brain. It was through various studies focusing on animals that scientists first became aware of the influence of oxytocin. They discovered that it helps reinforce the bonds between prairie voles, which mate for life, and triggers the motherly behaviour that sheep show towards their newborn lambs. It is also released by women in childbirth, strengthening the attachment between mother and baby. Few chemicals have as positive a reputation as oxytocin, which is sometimes referred to as the ‘love hormone’. One sniff of it can, it is claimed, make a person more trusting, empathetic, generous and cooperative. It is time, however, to revise this wholly optimistic view. A new wave of studies has shown that its effects vary greatly depending on the person and the circumstances, and it can impact on our social interactions for worse as well as for better.

Oxytocin’s role in human behaviour first emerged in 2005. In a groundbreaking experiments, Markus Heinrichs and his colleagues at the University of Freiburg, Germany, asked volunteers to do an activity in which they could invest money with an anonymous person who was not guaranteed to be honest. The team found the participants who had sniffed oxytocin via a nasal spray beforehand invested more money than those who received a placebo instead. The study was the start of research into the effects of oxytocin on human interactions. ‘For eight years, it was quite a lonesome field,’ Heinrichs recalls. ‘Now, everyone is interested.’ These follow-up studies have shown that after a sniff of the hormone, people become more charitable, better at reading emotions on others’ faces and at communicating constructively in arguments. Together, the results fuelled the view that oxytocin universally enhanced the positive aspects of our social nature.

Then, after a few years, contrasting findings began to emerge. Simone Shamay-Tsoory at the at the University of Haifa, Israel, found that when volunteers played a competitive game, those who inhaled the hormone showed more pleasure when they beat other players, and felt more envy when others won. What’s more, administering oxytocin also has sharply contrasting outcomes depending on a person’s disposition. Jennifer Bartz from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, found that it improves people’s ability to read emotions, but only if they are not very socially adept to begin with. Her research also shows that oxytocin in fact reduces cooperation in subjects who are particularly anxious or sensitive to rejection.

Another discovery is that oxytocin’s effects vary depending on who we are interacting with. Studies conducted by Carolyn DeClerck of the University of Antwerp, Belgium, revealed that people who had received a dose of oxytocin actually became less cooperative when dealing with complete strangers. Meanwhile, Carsten De Dreu at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands discovered that volunteers given oxytocin showed favouritism: Dutch men became quicker to associate positive words with Dutch names than with foreign ones, for example. According to De Dreu, oxytocin drives people to care for those in their social circles and defend them from outside dangers. So, it appears that oxytocin strengthens biases, rather than promoting general goodwill, as was previously thought.

There were signs of these subtleties from the start. Bartz has recently shown that in almost half of the existing research results, oxytocin influenced only certain individuals or in certain circumstances. Where once researchers took no notice of such findings, now a more nuanced understanding of oxytocin’s effects is propelling investigations down new lines. To Bartz, the key to understanding what the hormone does lies in pinpointing its core function rather than in cataloguing its seemingly endless effects. There are several hypotheses which are not mutually exclusive. Oxytocin could help to reduce anxiety and fear. Or it could simply motivate people to seek out social connections. She believes that oxytocin acts as a chemical spotlight that shines on social clues – a shift in posture, a flicker of the eyes, a dip in the voice – making people more attuned to their social environment. This would explain why it makes us more likely to look others in the eye and improves our ability to identify emotions. But it could also make things worse for people who are overly sensitive or prone to interpreting social cues in the worst light.

Perhaps we should not be surprised that the oxytocin story has become more perplexing. The hormone is found in everything from octopuses to sheep, and its evolutionary roots stretch back half a billion years. ‘It’s a very simple and ancient molecule that has been co-opted for many different functions,’ says Sue Carter at the University of Illinois, Chicago, USA. ‘It affects primitive parts of the brain like the amygdala, so it’s going to have many effects on just about everything.’ Bartz agrees. ‘Oxytocin probably does some very basic things, but once you add our higher-order thinking and social situations, these basic processes could manifest in different ways depending on individual differences and context.’

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 14-17

Reading Passage has six section, A-F.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

List of Researchers

Markus Heinrichs
Simone Shamay-Tsoory
Jennifer Bartz
Carolyn DeClerck
Carsten De Dreu
Sue Carter

Question 14. reference to research showing the beneficial effects of oxytocin on people

Answer: B
Supporting sentence: These follow-up studies have shown that after a sniff of the hormone, people become more charitable
Keyword : studies, sniff, hormone, charitable
Keyword location: paragraph B, lines 7-8
Explanation: The seventh to eighth lines of paragraph B explains that the follow-up research have demonstrated a fact. It is that after inhaling the hormone, people exhibit increased altruism, improved facial expression recognition. People also exhibit more effective constructive communication in conflict.

Question 15. reasons why the effects of oxytocin are complex

Answer: F
Supporting sentence: Perhaps we should not be surprised that the oxytocin story has become more perplexing.
Keyword : Perhaps, surprised, oxytocin, perplexing
Keyword location: paragraph F, line 1
Explanation: The first line of paragraph F says that the complexity of the oxytocin tale may not have come as a surprise. The hormone has evolutionary roots that go back half a billion years and is present in everything from octopuses to sheep.

Question 16. mention of a period in which oxytocin attracted little scientific attention

Answer: B
Supporting sentence: For eight years, it was quite a lonesome field,’ Heinrichs recalls.
Keyword : eight, years, lonesome, Heinrichs
Keyword location: paragraph B, lines 6-7
Explanation: Lines 6-7 of paragraph B states that the field was fairly lonely for eight years. Heinrichs reflects about. Everyone is fascinated now. These follow-up research have demonstrated that after inhaling the hormone. People exhibit increased altruism, improved facial expression recognition, and more effective constructive communication in conflict.

Question 17. reference to people ignoring certain aspects of their research data

Answer: E
Supporting sentence: Where once researchers took no notice of such findings, now a more nuanced understanding of oxytocin’s effects is propelling investigations down new lines.
Keyword : researchers, oxytocin’s, propelling, investigations
Keyword location: paragraph E, lines 3-4
Explanation: Lines 3-4 of paragraph E implies that according to a recent study by Bartz, oxytocin only had an effect on specific people. Under specific conditions in nearly half of the research findings that were previously published. Whereas previously researchers did not pay attention to such findings. A more nuanced knowledge of oxytocin's impacts is now driving research in new directions.

Questions 18-20

Look at the following research findings (Questions 18-20) and the list of researchers below.

Match each research finding with the correct researcher, A-F.

Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 18-20 on your answer sheet.

Question 18. People are more trusting when affected by oxytocin.

Answer: A
Supporting sentence: In a groundbreaking experiments, Markus Heinrichs and his colleagues at the University of Freiburg
Keyword : groundbreaking, Markus Heinrichs, colleagues, University of Freiburg
Keyword location: paragraph B, lines 1-2
Explanation: The first two lines of paragraph B explains that Markus Heinrichs and his colleagues at the University of Freiburg in Germany recruited volunteers. They did so for one of their ground-breaking studies by giving them the option to invest money with an anonymous partner. The partner who was not guaranteed to be trustworthy.

Question 19. Oxytocin increases people’s feelings of jealousy.

Answer: B
Supporting sentence: those who inhaled the hormone showed more pleasure when they beat other players
Keyword : inhaled, hormone, pleasure, players
Keyword location: paragraph C, lines 2-3
Explanation: Lines 2-3 of paragraph C suggests that contradictory results started to show up after a while. When participants participated in a competitive game, Simone Shamay-Tsoory from the University of Haifa in Israel discovered a fact. The fact is that those who inhaled the hormone expressed greater joy when they defeated other players and felt greater envy when others triumphed.

Question 20. The effect of oxytocin varies from one type of person to another.

Answer: C
Supporting sentence: What’s more, administering oxytocin also has sharply contrasting outcomes depending on a person’s disposition.
Keyword : administering, oxytocin, contrasting, disposition
Keyword location: paragraph C, lines 4-5
Explanation: Lines 4-5 of paragraph C explains that the effects of giving oxytocin vary greatly depending on the temperament of the recipient. It enhances people's capacity to read emotions, according to Jennifer Bartz of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

Questions 21-26

Complete the summary below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 21-26 on your answer sheet.

Oxytocin research

The earliest findings about oxytocin and bonding came from research involving 21……………………….. It was also discovered that humans produce oxytocin during 22………………………… An experiment in 2005, in which participants were given either oxytocin or a 23…………………………, reinforced the belief that the hormone had a positive effect.

However, later research suggests that this is not always the case. A study at the University of Haifa where participants took part in a 24……………………….. revealed the negative emotions which oxytocin can trigger. A study at the University of Antwerp showed people’s lack of willingness to help 25………………………. while under the influence of oxytocin. Meanwhile, research at the University of Amsterdam revealed that people who have been given oxytocin consider 26……………………….. that are familiar to them in their own country to have more positive associations than those from other cultures.

Question 21:

Answer: animals
Supporting sentence: It was through various studies focusing on animals that scientists first became aware of the influence of oxytocin.
Keyword : studies, focusing, animals, influence of oxytocin
Keyword location: paragraph A, lines 1-3
Explanation: Lines 1-3 of paragraph A explains that in the pituitary gland in the brain, a hormone known as oxytocin is created. The first time oxytocin's influence was recognised by scientists was through several animal research.

Question 22:

Answer: childbirth
Supporting sentence: It is also released by women in childbirth, strengthening the attachment between mother and baby.
Keyword : women, childbirth, strengthening, attachment
Keyword location: paragraph A, lines 4-5
Explanation: Lines 4-5 of paragraph A says that it is additionally released by mothers during childbirth, enhancing the bond between mother and child. Few substances have a more favourable reputation than oxytocin, also known as the love hormone.

Question 23:

Answer: placebo
Supporting sentence: nasal spray beforehand invested more money than those who received a placebo instead
Keyword : nasal spray, invested, money, placebo
Keyword location: paragraph B, lines 4-5
Explanation: The fourth to fifth lines of paragraph B suggests that the researchers discovered a fact. It is that people who had previously inhaled oxytocin via a nasal spray made greater investments than those who got a placebo. The discovery marked the beginning of research into how oxytocin affects interpersonal interactions.

Question 24:

Answer: game
Supporting sentence: found that when volunteers played a competitive game
Keyword : found, volunteers, competitive, game
Keyword location: paragraph C, lines 1-4
Explanation: Lines 1-4 of paragraph C explains that then, after a few years, conflicting results started to show up. When participants participated in a competitive game, Simone Shamay-Tsoory from the University of Haifa in Israel discovered a fact.

Question 25:

Answer: strangers
Supporting sentence: Belgium, revealed that people who had received a dose of oxytocin actually became less cooperative when dealing with complete strangers
Keyword : Belgium, oxytocin, cooperative, strangers
Keyword location: paragraph D, lines 2-4
Explanation: Lines 2-4 of paragraph D says about the research by Carolyn DeClerck of the University of Antwerp in Belgium. This states that oxytocin recipients actually become less cooperative when interacting with total strangers.

Question 26:

Answer: names
Supporting sentence: Meanwhile, Carsten De Dreu at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands discovered that volunteers given oxytocin showed favoritism
Keyword : Carsten De Dreu, volunteers, oxytocin, favoritism
Keyword location: paragraph D, lines 4-5
Explanation: Lines 4-5 of paragraph D states that in the meantime, Carsten De Dreu from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands found a fact about the volunteers. The volunteers were given oxytocin exhibited favouritism. Dutch men grew quicker to link positive phrases with Dutch names than with foreign ones, for example.