JOURNAL VOLUMES & ISSUES
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Methamphetamine impairs social conformity during risk decision-making

Hui Ai, Jiahui Li, Yuxuan Zhang, Xue Ma, Ti-Fei Yuan , Pengfei Xu 

30 September 2020
Vol. 1, Issue 5
DOI:
10.37716/HBAB.2020010501
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Abstract

Social conformity represents the propensity to align one’s own attitude and behavior with the majority’s, which is critical for adaptation to social norms. Methamphetamine abuse has been widely associated with risk-seeking and norm violation. However, whether risk attitude and behavior in individuals with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) could be modulated by social conformity has remained unclear. Here, we report that MUD participants exhibited increased risk-taking behavior and reduced social conformity. Compared to controls, the MUD group showed decreased conformity when observing other’s risk-averse decisions but increased conformity when observing other’s risk-seeking decisions. Our model based on other-conferred utility (OCU) demonstrated attenuated OCU and increased risk preference in the MUD group. Importantly, OCU was significantly correlated to the degree of MA abuse. Taken together, our results suggest that social conformity is impaired in individuals with MUD, which might exacerbate their impulsivity in drug abuse behavior.

Keywords: decision-making, risk, social conformity, methamphetamine, other-conferred utility model

Cite this article
H. Ai, J. Li, Y. Zhang, X. Ma, T. F. Yuan, P. Xu, Methamphetamine impairs social conformity during risk decision-making, Human Behaviour and Brain 1(5), 74-77 (2020).


Received
31 August 2020
Accepted
14 September 2020
Published
 
30 September 2020