Psychological disorders such as major depressive disorder are characterised by interpersonal difficulties and anhedonia. A cognitive mechanism proposed to contribute to the maintenance of these problems is a diminished ability to generate positive mental imagery, especially regarding social interactions. The current study examined whether the effects of social imagery training on social activity and anhedonia could be enhanced with the addition of intranasal oxytocin, and whether these effects might be augmented in persons with a high propensity to engage socially (i.e., high extraversion). University students (N = 111) were randomised to self-administer intranasal oxytocin or placebo, followed by a single session of positive social or non-social imagery training that required participants to imagine 64 positive scenarios occurring in either a social or non-social context, respectively. There were no main effects of imagery type and drug, and no interaction effect on anhedonia and social activity, measured respectively via self-report and a behavioural task. Individuals low in extraversion, trust-altruism, and openness to experience reported significantly more anhedonia after receiving oxytocin relative to placebo, but only following imagery training of positive social outcomes. Results highlight the negative consequences of increasing oxytocin bioavailability after priming social contact in more withdrawn individuals.

重度抑郁症等心理障碍的特点是人际关系困难和快感缺乏。一种有助于维持这些问题的认知机制是产生积极心理意象的能力减弱，尤其是在社交互动方面。目前的研究检查了社会意象训练对社会活动和快感缺乏的影响是否可以通过添加鼻内催产素来增强，以及这些影响是否会在具有高社交参与倾向（即高外向性）的人中增强。大学生（N = 111) 被随机分配到自我鼻内催产素或安慰剂组，然后进行一次积极的社会或非社会意象训练，要求参与者分别想象在社会或非社会环境中发生的 64 种积极情景。没有图像类型和药物的主要影响，也没有对快感缺乏和社会活动的交互作用，分别通过自我报告和行为任务测量。与安慰剂相比，外向性、信任利他主义和体验开放度低的个体在接受催产素后报告的快感缺乏明显更多，但仅在对积极社会结果的意象训练之后。结果强调了在更多退缩的个体中引发社会接触后增加催产素生物利用度的负面后果。