Are psychotic-like experiences associated with aberrant prosocial decision-making behavior?

TY - JOUR

T1 - Are psychotic-like experiences associated with aberrant prosocial decision-making behavior?

AU - Elmers, Julia

AU - Gabbert, Tana

AU - David, Bastian

AU - Scheunemann, Jakob

AU - Moritz, Steffen

N1 - Copyright © 2024 Elmers, Gabbert, David, Scheunemann and Moritz.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - INTRODUCTION: Deficits in social functioning and decision-making are well-documented in schizophrenia, but their relationship with positive symptoms and social conflicts is poorly understood. We created a new paradigm based on the Dictator Game (DG) to explore differences in social decision-making between individuals experiencing high levels of psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), particularly hallucinations and delusions, and controls with less PLEs.METHODS: A large community sample (N = 1,161) completed a DG in an online study whereby extreme groups were built based on the positive subscale of the CAPE.RESULTS: Overall, participants experiencing PLEs did not act less prosocial than controls but showed a somewhat aberrant decision-making behavior, particularly a pattern of behaving more prosocial in fair situations and generally favoring punishment over compensation relative to controls. Mediation analyses suggest that measures of empathy and Machiavellism have predictive power for prosocial behavior beyond group status.DISCUSSION: The present study raises the possibility that individuals with high levels of PLEs may be less able to adapt their behavior to the situation at hand than controls. These irregularities might be due to deficits in social cognition which may elicit conflict, thus compromising social functioning and possibly contributing to the formation of positive symptoms.

AB - INTRODUCTION: Deficits in social functioning and decision-making are well-documented in schizophrenia, but their relationship with positive symptoms and social conflicts is poorly understood. We created a new paradigm based on the Dictator Game (DG) to explore differences in social decision-making between individuals experiencing high levels of psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), particularly hallucinations and delusions, and controls with less PLEs.METHODS: A large community sample (N = 1,161) completed a DG in an online study whereby extreme groups were built based on the positive subscale of the CAPE.RESULTS: Overall, participants experiencing PLEs did not act less prosocial than controls but showed a somewhat aberrant decision-making behavior, particularly a pattern of behaving more prosocial in fair situations and generally favoring punishment over compensation relative to controls. Mediation analyses suggest that measures of empathy and Machiavellism have predictive power for prosocial behavior beyond group status.DISCUSSION: The present study raises the possibility that individuals with high levels of PLEs may be less able to adapt their behavior to the situation at hand than controls. These irregularities might be due to deficits in social cognition which may elicit conflict, thus compromising social functioning and possibly contributing to the formation of positive symptoms.

U2 - 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1387678

DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1387678

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 39156817

VL - 15

SP - 1387678

JO - FRONT PSYCHOL

JF - FRONT PSYCHOL

SN - 1664-1078

ER -