Prosocial effects of MDMA: A measure of generosity
Journal of Psychopharmacology – March 04, 2015
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
MDMA significantly boosts generosity, particularly toward friends. In a study with 32 healthy volunteers, those taking 1.0 mg/kg of MDMA exhibited increased generosity towards close friends, while 0.5 mg/kg enhanced generosity toward strangers, especially among women. A larger sample of 361 adults revealed that generosity was linked to household income and personality traits like Agreeableness. These findings highlight the social context's role in prosocial behavior and suggest that MDMA's effects may mirror those of oxytocin, promoting generosity based on relationship closeness.
Abstract
Background: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) produces “prosocial” effects that contribute to its recreational use. Few studies have examined the cognitive and behavioral mechanisms by which MDMA produces these effects. Here we examined the effect of MDMA on a specific prosocial effect, i.e. generosity, using a task in which participants make decisions about whether they or another person will receive money (Welfare Trade-Off Task; WTT). Methods: The project included one study without drug administration and one with MDMA. In Study 1, we administered the WTT to healthy adults ( N = 361) and examined their performance in relation to measures of personality and socioeconomic status. In Study 2, healthy volunteers with MDMA experience ( N = 32) completed the WTT after MDMA administration (0, 0.5, or 1.0 mg/kg). Results: As expected, in both studies participants were more generous with a close friend than an acquaintance or stranger. In Study 1, WTT generosity was related to household income and trait Agreeableness. In Study 2, MDMA (1.0 mg/kg) increased generosity toward a friend but not a stranger, whereas MDMA (0.5 mg/kg) slightly increased generosity toward a stranger, especially among female participants. Conclusions: These data indicate that the WTT is a valuable, novel tool to assess a component of prosocial behavior, i.e. generosity to others. The findings support growing evidence that MDMA produces prosocial effects, but, as with oxytocin, these appear to depend on the social proximity of the relationships. The brain mechanisms underlying the construct of generosity, or the effects of MDMA on this measure, remain to be determined.