MDMA decreases the effects of simulated social rejection
This placebo-controlled study (n=36) investigated the effects of MDMA (52.5mg & 105mg/70kg) on social rejection, as measured by self-reported ratings of positive mood and self-esteem in response to being excluded during a virtual ball-toss game. MDMA increased subjective pro-social feelings of lovingness, and reduced the impact of simulated social rejection on mood and self-esteem, in a dose-dependent manner.
Authors
- Harriet de Wit
Published
Abstract
Introduction
3-4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) increases self-reported positive social feelings and decreases the ability to detect social threat in faces, but its effects on experiences of social acceptance and rejection have not been determined. We examined how an acute dose of MDMA affects subjective and autonomic responses to simulated social acceptance and rejection. We predicted that MDMA would decrease subjective responses to rejection. On an exploratory basis, we also examined the effect of MDMA on respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a measure of parasympathetic cardiac control often thought to index social engagement and emotional regulation.
Methods
Over three sessions, healthy adult volunteers with previous MDMA experience (N = 36) received capsules containing placebo, 0.75 or 1.5 mg/kg of MDMA under counter-balanced double-blind conditions. During expected peak drug effect, participants played two rounds of a virtual social simulation task called “Cyberball” during which they experienced acceptance in one round and rejection in the other. During the task we also obtained electrocardiograms (ECGs), from which we calculated RSA. After each round, participants answered questionnaires about their mood and self-esteem.
Results
As predicted, MDMA decreased the effect of simulated social rejection on self-reported mood and self-esteem and decreased perceived intensity of rejection, measured as the percent of ball tosses participants reported receiving. Consistent with its sympathomimetic properties, MDMA decreased RSA as compared to placebo.
Discussion
Our finding that MDMA decreases perceptions of rejection in simulated social situations extends previous results indicating that MDMA reduces perception of social threat in faces. Together these findings suggest a cognitive mechanism by which MDMA might produce pro-social behavior and feelings and how the drug might function as an adjunct to psychotherapy. These phenomena merit further study in non-simulated social environments.
Research Summary of 'MDMA decreases the effects of simulated social rejection'
Introduction
Frye and colleagues frame 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) as a recreational drug reputed to enhance social engagement and empathy, and note that controlled studies have documented increases in subjective pro-social feelings and alterations in processing of social cues (for example, reduced amygdala response to angry faces and impaired identification of fearful expressions). They point out a gap in the literature: prior findings largely concern explicit cognitive judgements of facial expressions, while it remains unclear whether MDMA alters responses to more complex, interactive social situations involving perceived acceptance or rejection. To address this gap the investigators tested two linked hypotheses. First, they predicted that acute MDMA administration would attenuate the negative effects of simulated social rejection on mood and self-esteem. Second, on an exploratory basis they examined whether MDMA alters parasympathetic cardiac control — measured as respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an index of vagal activity often associated with social engagement and emotional regulation — and whether RSA changes were related to MDMA's effects on responses to rejection. The Cyberball ostracism paradigm was selected to present a more complete simulated social situation than simple facial emotion recognition tasks.
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Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Journal
- Compound
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- Author
- APA Citation
Frye, C. G., Wardle, M. C., Norman, G. J., & de Wit, H. (2014). MDMA decreases the effects of simulated social rejection. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 117, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbb.2013.11.030
References (4)
Papers cited by this study that are also in Blossom
Bedi, G., Hyman, D., De Wit, H. · Biological Psychiatry (2010)
de la Torre, R., Farré, M., Roset, P. N. et al. · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (2006)
Dumont, G., Sweep, F., van der Steen, R. et al. · Social Neuroscience (2009)
Oehen, P., Traber, R., Widmer, V. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2012)
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Jones, G. M., Lipson, J., Wang, E. · Scientific Reports (2023)
Christie, D., Yazar-Klosinski, B., Nosova, E. et al. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2022)
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