TY - JOUR
T1 - Blocking D2/D3 dopamine receptors in male participants increases volatility of beliefs when learning to trust others
AU - Mikus, Nace
AU - Eisenegger, Christoph
AU - Mathys, Christoph
AU - Clark, Luke
AU - Müller, Ulrich
AU - Robbins, Trevor W.
AU - Lamm, Claus
AU - Naef, Michael
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
PY - 2023/12
Y1 - 2023/12
N2 - The ability to learn about other people is crucial for human social functioning. Dopamine has been proposed to regulate the precision of beliefs, but direct behavioural evidence of this is lacking. In this study, we investigate how a high dose of the D2/D3 dopamine receptor antagonist sulpiride impacts learning about other people’s prosocial attitudes in a repeated Trust game. Using a Bayesian model of belief updating, we show that in a sample of 76 male participants sulpiride increases the volatility of beliefs, which leads to higher precision weights on prediction errors. This effect is driven by participants with genetically conferred higher dopamine availability (Taq1a polymorphism) and remains even after controlling for working memory performance. Higher precision weights are reflected in higher reciprocal behaviour in the repeated Trust game but not in single-round Trust games. Our data provide evidence that the D2 receptors are pivotal in regulating prediction error-driven belief updating in a social context.
AB - The ability to learn about other people is crucial for human social functioning. Dopamine has been proposed to regulate the precision of beliefs, but direct behavioural evidence of this is lacking. In this study, we investigate how a high dose of the D2/D3 dopamine receptor antagonist sulpiride impacts learning about other people’s prosocial attitudes in a repeated Trust game. Using a Bayesian model of belief updating, we show that in a sample of 76 male participants sulpiride increases the volatility of beliefs, which leads to higher precision weights on prediction errors. This effect is driven by participants with genetically conferred higher dopamine availability (Taq1a polymorphism) and remains even after controlling for working memory performance. Higher precision weights are reflected in higher reciprocal behaviour in the repeated Trust game but not in single-round Trust games. Our data provide evidence that the D2 receptors are pivotal in regulating prediction error-driven belief updating in a social context.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85164266043&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-023-39823-5
DO - 10.1038/s41467-023-39823-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 37422466
AN - SCOPUS:85164266043
VL - 14
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
SN - 2041-1723
IS - 1
M1 - 4049
ER -