J Korean Soc Biol Ther Psychiatry.  2024 Oct;30(3):86-94. 10.22802/jksbtp.2024.30.3.86.

Social Decision Making in Methamphetamine Users Using Ultimatum Game and Dictator Game

• Bae JW
• Kim YT
• Seo SS

• KMID: 2563227
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.22802/jksbtp.2024.30.3.86

Abstract

Objectives
This study aimed to compare social decision-making between healthy controls and methamphetamine users using ultimatum game (UG) and dictator game (DG). In addition, the purpose of this study was to identify the effect of personality factors on social decision-making.
Methods
The study included 39 methamphetamine users from a drug abuse center and a probation office, as well as 46 individuals in the control group. The UG and DG were conducted, where participants played the roles of proposers and responders. Also The Korean version of the Personality Factor Scale was used to assess personality factors among methamphetamine users.
Results
The results showed that methamphetamine users had significantly lower acceptance rates compared to the control group in all proposed ratios in the UG. Additionally, the proposed amount of money (South Korean Won, KRW) in the DG were higher for methamphetamine users when the proposer had a happy facial expression and lower when the proposer had an angry facial expression. In addition, methamphtetamine users, who are more neurotic, had lower acceptance rates, but offeres more money when acting as the proposer.
Conclusions
The findings suggest that methamphetamine users exhibit lower acceptance rates in social decision-making tasks, indicating a conflict between self-interest and rejecting unfair offers. The study highlights the importance of considering social decision-making in the treatment and rehabilitation of methamphetamine users to address social maladjustment factors.

Keyword

Methamphetamine; Ultimatum game; Dictator game; Social decision-making; Big five personality trait