Oxytocin boosts creativity, but only for approach-oriented people

A new study published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience has found that oxytocin, often called the “love hormone,” can make people more creative—but only if they are naturally inclined to seek out rewards rather than avoid risks.

The ability to generate new and useful ideas, known as creativity, is vital for problem-solving and innovation. Scientists have long known that oxytocin plays a role in trust and social behavior, but its impact on higher-level thinking has remained unclear. Earlier research suggested oxytocin might encourage flexible thinking, but results were inconsistent, possibly because individual differences—especially regarding personality—were overlooked.

Led by Chen Yang, a team from Central China Normal University focused on two motivational styles: approach-oriented individuals, who are driven by rewards and opportunities, and avoidance-oriented individuals, who prioritize safety to minimize mistakes and avoid punishment. These tendencies shape how people think and respond to challenges.

The researchers conducted two experiments involving over 120 male college students. In the first, participants were grouped based on their natural motivation style. In the second, motivation was temporarily induced through a memory exercise. All participants completed a creativity test called the Alternative Uses Task, which asks people to think of unusual uses for everyday objects like a spoon or umbrella. Each person received either a nasal spray of oxytocin or a placebo.

The results were striking. Oxytocin significantly boosted creativity—measured by originality (novelty) and flexibility of ideas—in approach-oriented participants. Those who were avoidance-oriented showed no improvement.

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Yang and colleagues also scrutinized brain network activity and discovered that the Default Mode Network and the Executive Control Network—which are important for creativity—worked together much more actively in the approach-oriented group.

“In contrast, avoidance-oriented individuals displayed no significant alterations in connectivity patterns,” the authors added.

Brain scan analyses also revealed more efficient brain communication in the approach-oriented group following oxytocin administration. The researchers noted “[an] increase in global efficiency and a concurrent reduction in the shortest path length within their brain networks, while the avoidance group displayed no substantial alterations.”

“These alterations effectively shortened information conduction pathways within networks, expedited transmission rates, and enhanced the efficiency of processing and integrating semantic concepts, which was conducive to the generation of creative thinking.”

Interestingly, the hormone did not affect mood, ruling out the possibility that happier feelings drove the creative boost. Instead, oxytocin seemed to enhance cognitive flexibility—the ability to shift perspectives and think broadly—especially in those already inclined toward exploration.

Notably, the research has limits. It only included men, used a single dose of oxytocin, and measured creativity through one type of task.

The study, “Oxytocin enhances creativity specifically in approach-motivated individuals,” was authored by Chen Yang, Zhaoyang Guo, and Liang Cheng.