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← Theoretical 1

Q25 — Oxytocin and Cortisol — Touch vs. Voice Contact in Girls

Theoretical 1 Real exam question — full text reproduced under IBO's CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license
Endocrine System Physiology

Oxytocin is a neuropeptide that plays a crucial role in shaping social relations and interactions, thought to be produced in response to tactile contact. Scientists studied oxytocin release in girls aged 7–12 after a public-speaking contest (stressor). The control group immediately watched a neutral movie; the tactile group had 15 minutes of direct contact with their mothers first; the vocal group instead spoke with their mothers by phone for 15 minutes. Cortisol and oxytocin levels were measured throughout.

Figure 1. Changes in salivary cortisol levels in girls during observations, for control, vocal, and tactile groups. Figure 1. Changes in cortisol levels during observations. Green arrow: start of public speaking. Pink arrow: end of public speaking. Black — control, Blue — vocal, Red — tactile. Cortisol rose from baseline to peak in all groups; the no-contact (control) group had higher cortisol even an hour after the stressor than the other two groups.

Figure 2. Urinary oxytocin content relative to creatinine, for control, vocal, and tactile groups. Figure 2. Oxytocin content in urine, relative to creatinine. Black — control, Blue — vocal, Red — tactile. Both physical and speech-only contact raised oxytocin within 15 minutes post-stressor, an effect maintained up to 1 hour post-stressor.

Using the information and figures, determine whether the following statements are true or false:

A. In all groups, cortisol levels rose after the performance, but after an hour they dropped to starting levels.
B. Oxytocin levels were significantly higher in the tactile group than in the vocal group, so touch is a more potent stimulus for oxytocin production.
C. Communication with mothers stimulates the production of oxytocin, which decreases cortisol levels and eliminates the effects of stress.
D. This study establishes a direct link between voice stimulation and neuropeptides that regulate interpersonal relationships.
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Question reproduced from IBO 2022, Theoretical Paper 1, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — attributed to the International Biology Olympiad. Open the full exam PDF · Community solutions (unofficial)