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Recent studies showed that stimuli are evaluated more favorably when perceived to receive others' attention (eg Bayliss, Paul, Cannon, & Tipper, 2006), an effect coined “mimetic desires”(Girard, 1987). This effect is modulated by the perceived trustworthiness of the target (Treinen, Corneille & Luypaert, 2012; King, Rowe & Leonards, 2011). Because the neuropeptide oxytocin enhances bonding (eg Winslow & Insel, 2002) and increases attention to and memory for social cues (Theodoridou, Rowe, Penton-Voak, & Rogers, 2009), we expected stronger mimetic desires in the oxytocin than in the placebo condition. Ninenty-five male participants (Mage= 22.53, SD= 2.89) were recruited for a randomized, double blind, between-subject design. During the experiment, participants were exposed to a male 3D face with neutral facial expression. The face turned his attention towards two neutral art paintings and away from two other paintings. These associations were presented 8 times. Participants were then asked to evaluate the paintings on a 9-point likert scale and completed a memory test for the associations (ie was the painting looked at or looked away from?). Mimetic desires (ie higher ratings for looked-at-paintings than for paintings looked away from) were found in the oxytocin condition (MLooked at= 5.24, SD= 1.30, MLooked away= 4.38, SD= 1.50) but not in the placebo condition (MLooked at= 4.93, SD= 1.20, MLooked away= 5.09, SD= 1.39). Analyses of the memory test furthermore revealed that oxytocin did not affect participant’s memory of the presented associations. Implications of these findings for social and affective learning processes …