Effects of oxytocin administration on non-social executive functions in humans: A preregistered systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Oxytocin has received considerable research attention for its role in affiliative behaviors, particularly regarding its pro-social effects. However, more recent evidence has pointed to a potentially broader role of oxytocin signaling, which includes the moderation of non-social cognition. To evaluate the evidence for non-social effects of oxytocin administration, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis with 19 effect estimates from 12 studies. We found no overall significant effect of oxytocin administration on non-social executive functions (p = 0.21; Hedges’ g = 0.10). However, effect sizes across sub-categories of executive function varied, where the effect of oxytocin administration was the largest for cognitive flexibility (Hedges’ g = 0.27). Publication bias was assessed using Robust Bayesian Meta-Analysis, which yielded anecdotal support for the absence of publication bias (BFPB = 0.97). Altogether, our data analysis suggests that oxytocin’s effects may extend beyond social cognitive processing as data synthesis provided evidence supporting a role in non-social cognitive flexibility. The data and analysis output from this meta-analysis are provided via a point-and-click web application.