The thing is that with age, the production of oxytocin, a neurochemical substance that is also called the “hormone of love and trust,” increases in the brain.
As noted in previous studies, older people are more likely to engage in pro-social behavior — volunteering, charity and altruism — than younger people. And since kindness and generosity are directly related to oxytocin (this hormone helps us establish social and emotional bonds), researchers from Claremont-Gradwaite University (USA) decided to check whether the level of its production changes with age.
More than 18 volunteers aged 99 to XNUMX took part in the study.
They were shown a video of a little boy with cancer and given the opportunity to donate money to a charity that helps children with cancer. In addition, participants gave blood before and after watching the video and answered questions about their emotional state and overall life satisfaction.
The results of the study confirmed that there is indeed a connection between the level of oxytocin and prosocial behavior — the more this hormone was released into the blood, the more money the participants donated. At the same time, the hypothesis of an increase in the production of oxytocin with age was also confirmed.
The older the person was, the higher the level of this hormone in his blood
But that’s not all. The researchers found that participants with high levels of oxytocin were more likely to volunteer and volunteer during the year prior to the study. They tended to be grateful and content with their lives, and were highly empathic and religious.
“The results we have obtained are consistent with many religious and philosophical ideas, according to which a person becomes happier by helping others,” — one of the authors of the study, Paul Zach.
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