Degree

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Leadership

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

In the past several decades, oxytocin has been colloquially termed the “cuddle hormone,” due to its role in pair-bonding and monogamy (Carter et al., 1992). In addition to being used experimentally for psychological disorder, it has also been used in couple’s counseling settings (Anagnostou et al., 2014; Domes et al., 2016). The outcomes of this research reveal mixed results, creating a need for further research in the topic to understand the exact mechanisms by which oxytocin works in the brain to induce this prosocial response. This study sought to address this deficit through the zebrafish animal model. The zebrafish serves as an advantageous animal model for pharmacological studies, as they are 66% genetically homologous to humans and possess homologous receptor sites, in addition to being cost effective and compliant with ethical considerations for animal research. Zebrafish, like humans, display easily observable mating and courtship behaviors, with circling and presenting being two behaviors females display. In addition to these behaviors, this study examined the proximity of male and female fish when given isotocin, the fish homologue to oxytocin. This study also determined if giving a prolonged dose of isotocin and if allowing an injection recovery period produced an effect. The study found significantly more circling and closer proximity in fish that received a 5-minute recovery period prior to recording behaviors. It also found that fish given isotocin displayed significantly closer swimming between fish than the control group. This research highlights the need for continued research on oxytocin as a social modifier drug. It also calls attention to the clarification required in injection procedures in zebrafish.

Date

13-1-2026

Committee Chair

Amanda Mayeaux

DOI

https://proquest.com/docview/3292464545

First Committee Member

Nathan Roberts

Second Committee Member

Ryan Simon

Third Committee Member

Sebnem Cilesiz

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