Blocking D2/D3 dopamine receptors in male participants increases volatility of beliefs when learning to trust others.

ABSTRACT: 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 reflecte

SUBMITTER: Mikus N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10329681 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature