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April 22, 2026Open Access

Beyond attention: methylphenidate reduces dishonesty in healthy adults

Key Points

The aim was to assess the impact of methylphenidate on dishonest behavior compared to placebo.
Conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment.
Participants received either methylphenidate, atomoxetine, or placebo and completed a die-rolling task.
Surveyed a representative sample on drug use and intuitions about dishonesty.
Methylphenidate significantly reduced instances of dishonesty compared to placebo.
Effects were not due to mood, attention, or demand effects.
Limited insights on the impact of methylphenidate on dishonesty were reported by users.

Abstract

Healthy adults increasingly use drugs to enhance cognitive performance. However, these drugs influence brain systems that have also been associated with dishonesty. Given the prevalent use of potentially performance-enhancing drugs in contexts susceptible to cheating, it is crucial to ascertain whether they have adverse effects on honesty. Our primary objective was to compare the effects of methylphenidate with those of placebo to determine the direction and magnitude of its potential influence on dishonest behavior. We furthermore examined the intuitions of people who use smart drugs about the effects of methylphenidate on cheating in a US representative sample. We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment to compare the effects of methylphenidate (Ritalin), a popular performance-enhancing drug, and compared its effects with atomoxetine (Strattera), another performance-enhancing drug with a distinct pharmacological mechanism. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo (n = 52), methylphenidate (n = 49), or atomoxetine (n = 50). Subsequently, they performed a die-rolling task in which they could increase their earnings by dishonestly misreporting their outcomes. Additionally, a representative sample of 575 American participants indicated their performance-enhancing drugs use and intuitions about the effects of these drugs on dishonesty. Our findings show that, compared to the placebo condition, methylphenidate reduced dishonesty. This effect was not attributable to statistical fluctuations, demand effects, or domain-general mechanisms such as mood or attention. In addition, individuals who use drugs to enhance performance have limited intuitions about the impact of methylphenidate on dishonest behavior. These results reveal an unforeseen consequence associated with methylphenidate and may have policy implications regarding the paradoxical relationship between the use of drugs for performance enhancement and their potential impact on honesty.

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