This double-blind placebo-controlled study (study 1: n=15, study 2: n=20) found that MDMA (100mg) significantly increased global trust in community and society after conversation compared to placebo, whilst methamphetamine (20mg) showed no effects on subjective well-being or social connection measures.
Abstract of The empathogen MDMA, but not methamphetamine, increases feelings of global trust
“Background: The empathogen and psychostimulant 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is thought to boost both subjective well-being and social connection. Although MDMA is considered to enhance social connection to a greater extent than other stimulant drugs, few studies have compared MDMA to other stimulants. In addition, previous studies have focused on social positivity effects (e.g., increased trust) for specific in-lab interaction partners without considering more generalized social positivity effects (e.g., trust in one’s community).
Aims: We tested the effects of MDMA on subjective ratings of well-being and global social connection, including feelings of trust toward one’s community and society. The effects of MDMA were compared to a prototypic stimulant, methamphetamine (MA).
Methods: Across two studies, we examined differences in subjective well-being and global social well-being 90 minutes after a conversation on MDMA (study 1; N = 15; 100 mg) and after a conversation on MA (study 2; N = 20; 20 mg) compared to a placebo.
Results: After MDMA, participants reported significantly higher global trust, t(14) = −2.583, p = 0.022, and marginally higher self-worth, t(14) = −2.000, p = 0.065, compared with after the placebo. Furthermore, MA did not alter scores of subjective well-being and social connection.
Conclusions: Our findings extend previous research by demonstrating that MDMA increases feelings of trust in the social world beyond lab-specific interaction partners. These findings are consistent with user reports of generalized social well-being effects and support the idea that MDMA may have clinical value from a social psychological perspective.”
Authors: Ramona L. Martinez, Nina Radošić, Hanna Molla, Harriet de Wit & Sonja Lyubomirsky
Summary of The empathogen MDMA, but not methamphetamine, increases feelings of global trust
The paper positions “psychedelic social psychology” as a field that examines how consciousness-altering drugs can enhance social connection and subjective well-being. It focuses on MDMA, a compound often described as an empathogen or entactogen, to emphasise effects on insight and social connection rather than classic perceptual changes. Earlier research shows that MDMA reliably acutely increases sociability and feelings of warmth and friendliness. The central theoretical claim is that these immediate, positive social and emotional experiences could shift perspective in ways that generalise beyond a single interaction.
The authors note that most laboratory work has measured MDMA’s prosocial effects in narrow, task-bound settings and primarily in relation to the immediate interaction partner. There is suggestive evidence that MDMA’s social effects differ from stimulant comparators, yet findings are mixed across studies. Against that backdrop, the key question here is whether MDMA’s social positivity extends to broader interpersonal attitudes such as trust in one’s neighbourhood, community, and society, and how this compares to a prototypical stimulant, methamphetamine (MA).
Aims and Overview of the Present Research
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https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811251370999
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Cite this paper (APA)
Martinez, R. L., Radošić, N., Molla, H., de Wit, H., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2025). The empathogen 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, but not methamphetamine, increases feelings of global trust. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 02698811251370999.
Study details
Compounds studied
MDMA
Placebo
Topics studied
Healthy Subjects
Study characteristics
Original
Placebo-Controlled
Double-Blind
Participants
35
Humans
Compound Details
The psychedelics given at which dose and how many times
MDMA 100 mg | 1x