Reactivity of the Oxytocinergic and Neuroendocrine System Following the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System in Men of Recent Fatherhood: Results from an Exploratory Pilot Study with a Cross-Sectional Design

Abstract

The attachment representation (AR) of individuals affects emotional and cognitive information processes and is considered an important modulating factor of neuroendocrine stress responses. The neuropeptide oxytocin is studied as one biomolecular component underpinning this modulation. A validated procedure used in attachment-related research is the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP). To date, only a limited number of studies investigated oxytocin and neuroendocrine reactivity in the context of an attachment-related stimulus similar to the APP. In this pilot study, N = 26 men of recent fatherhood were exposed to the AAP to classify AR and to investigate salivary changes in oxytocin, cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) after AAP stimulation. We observed increased oxytocin levels in response to AAP exposure, and this increase was more pronounced in fathers with unresolved/disorganized AR. No significant changes in cortisol and DHEA concentrations were observed in response to AAP administration. Interestingly, differences in basal cortisol levels (before the AAP) also depended on AR classification. Here, the group of men with unresolved/disorganized AR showed higher levels of cortisol compared to fathers with organized AR. To conclude, the finding of increased salivary oxytocin levels in response to the AAP further indicates its validity as an instrument to stimulate the attachment system.

Attachment-Related Differences in Emotion Regulation in Adults: A Systematic Review on Attachment Representations

“…Karabatsiakis et al [ 133 ] attempted to replicate the results of the study just mentioned with new fathers. In addition, the change in DHEA was investigated.…”

Mentalization, Oxytocin, and Cortisol in the General Population

“…In accordance with this hypothesis, there was a link between interpersonal bonding and plasma oxytocin in depressed individuals [ 27 ], and saliva oxytocin levels predicted attentional orientation to social stimuli [ 28 ]. Intriguingly, fathers with disorganized attachment exhibited increased salivary oxytocin following the presentation of attachment-projecting pictures (free-response pictures designed to activate the human attachment system) [ 29 ].…”

“…Morning salivary or plasma cortisol concentrations and affective control are associated in males, but empathy and emotion recognition abilities do not correspond with peripheral cortisol levels [ 44 ]. In fathers with disorganized attachment, higher salivary cortisol levels were found [ 29 ]. Altogether, while the HPA axis represents the biological basis of the “fight-or-flight” response, oxytocin (together with cannabinoids, opioids, and dopamine) might be a central factor in the “tend and befriend” response (affiliation under stress) [ 45 , 46 ].…”